Julien C. Marie

Biography

The immune system has to be ignorant against the self-cells to avoid autoimmunity, but in the same time it should also be able to eliminate the self-cells that are noxious for the organism such as tumor cells. Key actors of the tolerance should be ubiquitously expressed, highly abundant in immuno-privilege sites, present before T cell emigration from the thymus, and likely highly conserved between mammalians. Transforming Growth Factor beta (TGF-?) is the only actor fitting with all these criteria. The absence of this cytokine leads to massive autoimmunity touching all the organs. Interestingly, TGF-? is highly produced by the tumor microenvironment and contributes to tumor growth. The immune system has to be ignorant against the self-cells to avoid autoimmunity, but in the same time it should also be able to eliminate the self-cells that are noxious for the organism such as tumor cells. Key actors of the tolerance should be ubiquitously expressed, highly abundant in immuno-privilege sites, present before T cell emigration from the thymus, and likely highly conserved between mammalians. Transforming Growth Factor beta (TGF-?) is the only actor fitting with all these criteria. The absence of this cytokine leads to massive autoimmunity touching all the organs. Interestingly, TGF-? is highly produced by the tumor microenvironment and contributes to tumor growth.

Research Interest

antigen reaction, antibody reaction,immonogens