Mannosylated self-peptide inhibits the development of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis via expansion of nonencephalitogenic T cells

Tolerance to experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) in SJL mice can be induced by immunization with a mannosylated form of the proteolipid protein (M-PLP139-151), despite the presence of CFA. The state of tolerance is characterized by poor delayed-type hypersensitivity responses and the absence of clinical EAE symptoms. In vivo...

The CD28/CTLA-4-B7 signaling pathway is involved in both allergic sensitization and tolerance induction to orally administered peanut proteins

Dendritic cells are believed to play an essential role in regulating the balance between immunogenic and tolerogenic responses to mucosal Ags by controlling T cell differentiation and activation via costimulatory and coinhibitory signals. The CD28/CTLA-4-CD80/CD86 signaling pathway appears to be one of the most important regulators of T cell...

CD4+CD25+ T cells regulate the intensity of hypersensitivity responses to peanut, but are not decisive in the induction of oral sensitization

Background: Naturally occurring CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cells (Tregs) play a critical role in the maintenance of self-tolerance and it has been suggested that these Tregs may also be involved in preventing allergic disease. Objective: The precise role of CD4+CD25+ T cells in the regulation of allergic responses to mucosal antigens remains to be...

Initiating mechanisms of food allergy: Oral tolerance versus allergic sensitization

Immediately after birth the mucosa of the gastrointestinal tract, which represents the greatest body surface area exposed to the outside environment, is confronted with a large variety of foreign antigens. The immune system of the intestine now has to meet the task of discriminating between pathogens and harmless antigens, such as food proteins...

Induction of EAE by T cells specific for alpha B-crystallin depends on prior viral infection in the CNS

While myelin-reactive T cells are widely believed to play a pathogenic role in multiple sclerosis (MS), no substantial differences appear to exist in T-cell responses to myelin antigens between MS patients and healthy subjects. As an example, indistinguishable peripheral T-cell responses and serum antibody levels have been found in MS patients...

Tolerization of an established αb-crystallin-reactive T-cell response by intravenous antigen

Tolerance induction to prevent activation of a naïve T-cell repertoire has been well documented in rodents and can be readily achieved by intravenous, oral or intranasal administration of antigen in the absence of adjuvants. In autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS) the presence of an established memory/effector T-cell repertoire...

Innate, adaptive and regulatory responses in schistosomiasis: Relationship to allergy

Helminth infections have profound effects on the immune system. Here, recent insights in the molecular interactions between schistosomes and the host are described with respect to adaptive but also with respect to innate immune responses. Furthermore, the different mechanisms of immune hyporesponsiveness are depicted with emphasis on regulatory...

Reduced experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis after intranasal and oral administration of recombinant lactobacilli expressing myelin antigens

Oral administration of autoantigens is a safe and convenient way to induce peripheral T-cell tolerance in autoimmune diseases like multiple sclerosis (MS). To increase the efficacy of oral tolerance induction and obviate the need for large-scale purification of human myelin proteins, we use genetically modified lactobacilli expressing myelin...

Biological consequences of cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers

In the skin many molecules may absorb ultraviolet (UV) radiation upon exposure. In particular, cellular DNA strongly absorbs shorter wavelength solar UV radiation, resulting in various types of DNA damage. Among the DNA photoproducts produced the cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers (CPDs) are predominant. Although these lesions are efficiently...

T- and B-cell nonresponsiveness to self-αB-crystallin in SJL mice prevents the induction of experimental allergic encephalomyelitis

The myelin-associated stress protein αB-crystallin triggers strong proliferative responses and IFN-γ production by human T cells and it is considered a candidate autoantigen in multiple sclerosis. In this study we examined the capacity of αB-crystallin or peptides derived thereof to induce experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) in SJL...

Tolerance controls encephalitogenicity of αB-crystallin in the Lewis rat

The myelin-associated protein, αB-crystallin, is considered a candidate autoantigen in multiple sclerosis (MS). In the present study, we examined the potential of αB-crystallin to induce experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) in Lewis rats. Attempts to induce EAE with either bovine, rat or murine αB-crystallin or αB-crystallin peptides...

A rapid and safe plasmid isolation method for efficient engineering of recombinant lactobacilli expressing immunogenic or tolerogenic epitopes for oral administration

Recombinant lactobacilli are being developed which can be used as expression and delivery vectors of heterologous antigens in oral vaccination and other therapeutic applications. Because most Lactobacillus strains do not accept ligation mixtures, sufficiently pure plasmid DNA needs to be isolated from Lactobacillus casei to transform other...

Instruments for oral disease-intervention strategies: Recombinant Lactobacillus casei expressing tetanus toxin fragment C for vaccination or myelin proteins for oral tolerance induction in multiple sclerosis

Lactobacillus strains possess properties that make them attractive candidates as vehicles for oral administration of therapeutics. In this report we describe the construction and analysis of recombinant Lactobacillus casei applicable in oral vaccination against an infectious disease (tetanus) and in oral tolerance induction for intervention in...

Antigen-specific therapies in multiple sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis is the major neurological disease of young adults in the western world, affecting about 1 per 1,000. It is characterised by chronic or recurrent lesions of inflammatory damage in the white matter of the central nervous system. Within such lesions, the protective myelin sheath is stripped off axons by infiltrated macrophages...

The role of DNA damage and repair in ultraviolet B radiation-induced immunomodulation: Relevance for human photocarcinogenesis

Chemicals/CAS: Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1, 126547-89-5; Pyrimidine Dimers

Abrogation of the suppressive effects of dexamethasone by PKC activation or CD28 triggering

The suppressive effect of the glucocorticoid dexamethasone (DEX) on purified CD4+ T cells was found to depend on the activation pathway. In contrast to anti-CD3- or PHA-induced T cell proliferation, the alternative pathway of T cell activation, i.e., through anti-CD2 and anti-CD28, appeared largely resistant to DEX. By titrating anti-CD28 or the...