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Hijacking and exploitation of IL-10 by intracellular pathogens
S Redpath1, P Ghazal, N R Gascoigne
1Dept of Immunology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.
Trends in Microbiology
|February 15, 2001
Summary
Intracellular pathogens exploit interleukin-10 (IL-10) produced by macrophages to suppress the immune response. This cytokine aids pathogens like viruses and bacteria in evading host defenses and replicating within macrophages.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Microbiology
- Cell Biology
Background:
- Macrophages are crucial immune cells targeted by pathogens.
- Interleukin-10 (IL-10) is an immunosuppressive cytokine produced by macrophages.
- Pathogen manipulation of IL-10 is a key immune evasion strategy.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of macrophage-derived IL-10 in pathogen infections.
- To understand how diverse pathogens utilize IL-10 for immune suppression.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature on macrophage-pathogen interactions.
- Analysis of mechanisms by which viruses and bacteria induce or mimic IL-10.
Main Results:
- Viruses can induce cellular IL-10 or encode viral IL-10 homologs.
- Bacteria like Mycobacteria and Listeria monocytogenes induce macrophage IL-10.
- IL-10 production by macrophages facilitates pathogen survival and replication.
Conclusions:
- Exploitation of IL-10 is a common immunosuppressive mechanism used by various intracellular pathogens.
- Macrophage-derived IL-10 plays a significant role in the pathogenesis of infections caused by these microbes.