0000000000354454
AUTHOR
Laurie H. Glimcher
The role of Th1/Th2 polarization in mucosal immunity
Mucosal immunity relies on the delicate balance between antigen responsiveness and tolerance. The polarization of T helper cells plays a key role in maintaining or disrupting this equilibrium.
IL-23 receptor regulates unconventional IL-17-producing T cells that control bacterial infections.
AbstractIL-23 plays an important role in autoimmune tissue inflammation and induces the generation of not fully characterized effector cells that mediate protection against pathogens. In this paper, we established the essential role of IL-23R in the host response against intracellular pathogens. IL-23 was critical for the expansion or maintenance of γδ and double negative (DN) αβ T cells. These cells were rapidly recruited to the site of infection and produced large amounts of IL-17, IFN-γ, and TNF-α. Notably, DN T cells transferred into L. monocytogenes-infected RAG2−/− mice prevented bacterial growth, confirming their protective role against intracellular pathogens. Our results show that …
The Transcription Factor T-bet Regulates Mucosal T Cell Activation in Experimental Colitis and Crohn's Disease
The balance between pro and antiinflammatory cytokines secreted by T cells regulates both the initiation and perpetuation of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). In particular, the balance between interferon (IFN)-gamma/interleukin (IL)-4 and transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta activity controls chronic intestinal inflammation. However, the molecular pathways that evoke these responses are not well understood. Here, we describe a critical role for the transcription factor T-bet in controlling the mucosal cytokine balance and clinical disease. We studied the expression and function of T-bet in patients with IBD and in mucosal T cells in various T helper (Th)1- and Th2-mediated animal models …
Protective role of nuclear factor of activated T cells 2 in CD8+ long-lived memory T cells in an allergy model
Background The transcriptional regulation of cytokines released and controlled by memory T cells is not well understood. Defective IFN-γ production in allergic asthma correlates in human beings with the risk of wheezing in childhood. Objective To understand the role of the transcription factor nuclear factor of activated T cells 2 (NFATc2) in memory and effector T cells in the airways in experimental allergic asthma. Methods We used murine models of allergic asthma and adoptive cell transfer of fluorescence-activated sorted cells in a disease model. Results Mice lacking NFATc2 developed an increase in airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR), remodeling, and serum IgE levels on ovalbumin sensitizat…
Asthmatic changes in mice lacking T-bet are mediated by IL-13
Mice with a targeted deletion of the T-bet gene exhibit spontaneous airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR), airway inflammation, enhanced recovery of T(h)2 cytokines from bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, sub-epithelial collagen deposition and myofibroblast transformation. Here we analyze the mechanisms responsible for the chronic airway remodeling observed in these mice. CD4+ T cells isolated from the lung of T-bet-deficient mice were spontaneously activated CD44(high)CD69(high) memory T cells, with a typical T(h)2 cytokine profile. Neutralization of IL-13 but not IL-4 resulted in amelioration of AHR in airways of mice lacking T-bet. IL-13 blockade also led to reduced eosinophilia and decreased vime…
Development of spontaneous airway changes consistent with human asthma in mice lacking T-bet.
Human asthma is associated with airway infiltration by T helper 2 (TH2) lymphocytes. We observed reduced expression of the TH1 transcription factor, T-bet, in T cells from airways of patients with asthma compared with that in T cells from airways of nonasthmatic patients, suggesting that loss of T-bet might be associated with asthma. Mice with a targeted deletion of the T-bet gene and severe combined immunodeficient mice receiving CD4+cells from T-bet knockout mice spontaneously demonstrated multiple physiological and inflammatory features characteristic of asthma. Thus, T-bet deficiency, in the absence of allergen exposure, induces a murine phenotype reminiscent of both acute and chronic h…
T cell directives for transcriptional regulation in asthma.
Allergic asthma frequently starts in childhood, and environmental factors such as viruses, allergens and occupational exposure can regulate the evolution of the disease. The development of allergen-specific Th2 lymphocytes represents the triggering event for the recruitment and activation of IgE-producing B cells and fibroblasts, followed by the release of soluble factors, thus giving rise to the inflammatory reaction observed in this disease. GATA-3 was identified as a cell lineage-specific factor selectively expressed and activated in the Th2 lineage as a consequence of STAT-6 activation. However, recent literature indicates that blockade of CTLA-4-directed inhibitory signals is sufficien…
An innate cell-mediated, murine ulcerative colitis-like syndrome in the absence of nuclear factor of activated T cells.
Abstract Background & Aims: Nuclear factor of activated T cells transcription factors plays a central role in immunity by regulating the expression of multiple cytokines and other regulatory molecules, many of which have been heavily implicated in the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease. However, few studies have directly investigated the nuclear factor of activated T cells proteins in inflammatory bowel disease. We describe here a specific role for nuclear factor of activated T cells c2 in the pathogenesis of murine inflammatory bowel disease. Methods: Mice deficient for nuclear factor of activated T cells c2, recombinase activating gene-2, or both and transgenic or nontransgenic fo…