Research progress of B and T lymphocyte attenuator in immune diseases / 中华微生物学和免疫学杂志

ABSTRACT

B and T lymphocyte attenuator (BTLA) is an immune checkpoint discovered in the early 21st century. BTLA is a typeⅠtransmembrane protein that belongs to Ig super family. The ligand for BTLA is herpesvirus-entry mediator (HVEM), a TNF receptor family protein. BTLA regulates the homeostasis of γδ T cells and innate lymphocytes (ILCs), promotes the survival of effector T cells and helps them differentiate into memory T cells. BTLA also plays an important role in maintaining the homeostasis of dendritic cells (DCs). Studies have shown that BTLA knockout mice have increased susceptibility to autoimmune diseases. Recent studies showed that BTLA also plays a crucial role in allergic diseases (such as allergic conjunctivitis and allergic rhinitis) and autoimmune diseases (such as systemic lupus erythematosus and ankylosing spondylitis). This article makes a systematic review about recent researches of BTLA in immune diseases.