Immune Privilege and Immunogenicity Reside among Different Layers of the Mouse Cornea

Abstract

When grafted to a heterotopic site, the alloimmunogenicity of the normal cornea resides within its epithelial and stromal layers, whereas immune privilege arises from the endothelium. In normal mice, CD95L-expressing endothelium can inhibit the stroma from inducing immunity directed at MHC alloantigens, but in presensitized mice the endothelium can protect itself only from immune rejection.