Phosphatidylserine promotes immunotherapy for airway allergy

Type 1 regulatory T cells (Tr1 cells) play an important role in the maintenance of the immune homeostasis in the body. The induction of Tr1 cell is to be further investigated. The interaction of phosphatidylserine (PS) with TIM3 has immune regulation functions. The objective of this study is to elucidate the role of PS-TIM3 signals in inducing Tr1 cells. In this study, mice were treated using PS or specific immunotherapy by nasal instillation. A murine model of allergic rhinitis was developed using ovalbumin as a specific antigen. We found that PS-containing nasal instillation induced Tr1 cells in the airway tissues. PS promoted gene activities associated with IL-10 through activation of TIM3 in CD4⁺ T cells. TIM3 mediated the effects of PS on inducing Tr1 cells, in which the TIM3- PI3K-AKT pathway played a critical role. PS boosted allergen-specific immunotherapy by inducing specific antigen Tr1 cell generation. Concomitant administration of PS and SIT resulted in better therapeutic effects on AR. In conclusion, the data demonstrate that PS can promote the specific immunotherapy for AR through inducing antigen specific Tr1 cells in the airway tissues.