Autoimmunity, self-inflammation: when the immune system is mistakenly targeting !

Autoimmunity - the emergence of an immune response against the body's own constituents - can be seen as an inevitable consequence of the development of adaptive immunity. Indeed, adaptive immunity is characterized by the clonal diversification of T and B lymphocytes during their development, inherent in the genetic recombination of the genes coding for their specific antigen receptors. This generates, among other things, autoreactive lymphocytes capable of causing autoimmune disease. Although autoimmune diseases are numerous (over 80) and relatively common (7-10% of the population), it is generally accepted that they do not occur. This lecture examines the mechanisms involved in the control of autoimmunity (and of the auto-inflammation inherent in innate immunity), their possible failures responsible for autoimmune pathologies, and the therapeutic prospects offered by a better understanding of the pathophysiology of autoimmunity. The six lectures are followed by a series of seminars which illustrate and expand on the points discussed.