The AIRE protein (Autoimmune Regulator) is a transcription factor crucial for the establishment of self-tolerance within the immune system. It is primarily expressed in the thymus, particularly in medullary thymic epithelial cells (mTECs). AIRE facilitates the expression of a diverse array of tissue-specific antigens (TSAs), ensuring that developing T cells are exposed to these antigens, which aids in the deletion of self-reactive T cells.
