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Gut immune system and oral tolerance.
Patricia Castro-Sánchez1, José M Martín-Villa
1Departamento de Inmunología, Facultad de Medicina, Pabellón V: Planta 4, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain.
The British Journal of Nutrition
|January 31, 2013
Summary
Oral tolerance harnesses the gut immune system to prevent autoimmune diseases. This approach uses orally administered antigens to activate regulatory T cells, specifically Th3 cells, to suppress harmful immune responses.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Gastroenterology
Background:
- The gut mucosa acts as a critical barrier against pathogens while tolerating harmless antigens like food and commensal bacteria.
- The gut immune system must distinguish between harmful and harmless antigens, mounting responses accordingly.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore strategies for inducing oral tolerance to antigens implicated in autoimmune diseases.
- To investigate the role of regulatory T cells, particularly Th3 cells, in oral tolerance.
Main Methods:
- Oral administration of antigens to induce immune tolerance.
- Analysis of T cell populations, focusing on CD4+ T cells and Th3 cells.
Main Results:
- Oral tolerance involves the up-regulation and activation of regulatory T cells, including Th3 cells.
- Th3 cells, characterized by latency-associated peptide and TGF-β secretion, are key in oral tolerance induction.
Conclusions:
- Oral tolerance is a promising strategy for treating autoimmune diseases by modulating the immune response.
- Generating Th3 cells through oral antigen administration offers a therapeutic avenue for autoimmune conditions in experimental models and humans.
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