peripheral tolerance

Peripheral tolerance is a process in the immune system that helps prevent the body from attacking its own healthy cells. While central tolerance occurs in the thymus and bone marrow, where potentially harmful immune cells are eliminated, peripheral tolerance takes place elsewhere in the body. It involves mechanisms that suppress or regulate any self-reactive immune cells that escape elimination. This helps maintain a balance, ensuring that the immune system can effectively fight off infections while avoiding autoimmune diseases, where the body mistakenly targets its own tissues.