Mucosal immunoregulation: transcription factors as possible therapeutic targets

Much progress has been recently made with regard to our understanding of the mucosal immune system in health and disease. In particular, it has been shown that uncontrolled mucosal immune responses driven by lymphocytes or non-lymphoid cells may lead to immunological diseases such as allergy, hypersensitivity and inflammation. Thus, a more detailed understanding of mucosal immune regulation and decision making at mucosal surfaces is essential for a better understanding of mucosal immune responses in health and disease. Antigen presenting cells and T lymphocytes play a key role in controlling mucosal immune responses. To deal with this key task, T helper cells differentiate into functionally distinct subsets: TH1 (CD4+ T Helper cells), TH2, TH3, Tr1, and CD4+CD25+ T (Treg) cells. This review summarizes the role of antigen presenting cells, eosinophils, mast cells and T-cell subsets in the pathogenesis of allergic inflammation and intestinal inflammation. Furthermore, we discuss novel immunological treatment modalities for allergic inflammation (e.g. allergic asthma) and chronic intestinal inflammation (e.g. inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD)) such as the control of the expression of transcription factors to redirect pathological immune responses.