Antigen-based immunointervention in human autoimmune diseases.

Abstract

Antigen administration can ameliorate autoimmune disease via various mechanisms, including deletion of autoreactive cells, induction of regulatory T cells, and deviation to non-pathogenic or protective responses. All these mechanisms of immunointervention have been successfully used to prevent and sometimes treat experimental models of autoimmune diseases. Based on these results, expectations have been raised for exploiting similar strategies to inhibit pathogenic autoreactive T cells in human autoimmune diseases. Among them, mucosal administration of autoantigen is an attractive mode of immunointervention still awaiting demonstration of clinical efficacy in human autoimmune diseases. A further step in this direction is now provided by the clear-cut immune deviation observed following oral administration of a disease-related peptide to rheumatoid arthritis patients, leading to inhibition of Th1 while enhancing Th2 and possibly Foxp3-positive regulatory T cells.

• Authors: Luciano Adorini
• Journal: Trends in biotechnology (Trends Biotechnol) Vol. 22 Issue 11 Pg. 547-9 (Nov 2004) ISSN: 0167-7799 [Print] England
• PMID: 15491794 (Publication Type: Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Antigens
• Peptides

Topics

• Administration, Oral
• Animals
• Antigens (administration & dosage, immunology)
• Arthritis, Rheumatoid (drug therapy, immunology)
• Autoimmune Diseases (drug therapy, immunology)
• Clinical Trials as Topic
• Humans
• Immunotherapy (methods, trends)
• Peptides (administration & dosage, immunology)
• Treatment Outcome