Tertiary Lymphoid Structure: A Potential Therapeutic Target Affecting Immune Response in Autoimmune Diseases.

Autoimmune diseases are characterized by the immune system's breakdown of self-tolerance, and manifest as either organ-specific or systemic conditions. Within the target tissues of diverse autoimmune diseases, tertiary lymphoid structures (TLSs) emerge under persistent inflammatory conditions. These pathological, ectopic lymphoid formations serve as sites for sustained antigen presentation, affinity maturation of antibodies, and proliferation /differentiation of B cells, thereby exacerbating local immune-mediated damage. Given their functional significance, TLSs represent promising candidates as diagnostic biomarkers and novel therapeutic targets for autoimmune pathologies. This review synthesizes the current knowledge on the pathological relevance of TLSs, the mechanisms driving their formation and the therapeutic targeting potential, aiming to deepen the understanding of how TLSs influence the immune microenvironment in autoimmune disease pathology.