Antigen-based immunotherapy (AIT) for autoimmune and allergic disease. (August 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: MacLeod, Megan KL; Anderton, Stephen M
• Is Part Of: Current opinion in pharmacology. Volume 23(2015)
• Page Start: 11
• Page End: 16
• Publication Date: 2015-08
• Subjects: Pharmacology -- Periodicals; Pharmaceutical Preparations -- Periodicals; Drug Therapy -- Periodicals; Biopharmaceutics -- Periodicals; Pharmacologie -- Périodiques; Pharmacology; Periodicals; 615.105
• DOI: 10.1016/j.coph.2015.05.003
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1471-4892

Abstract

Highlights: AIT allows specific targeting of the cells that drive pathology in allergy and autoimmunity. AIT is a recognised treatment for human allergic disease. AIT can delete T cells and/or induce functional tolerance. AIT can modify previously activated T cells epigenetically. Abstract : Autoimmune and allergic diseases are major causes of morbidity. Antigen-based immunotherapy (AIT) is immunologically the most satisfying means of specifically targeting only those T cells driving disease, thereby inducing antigen-specific immune tolerance, with the lowest adverse risk profile. AIT is highly effective in rodent models of T cell-driven inflammation and is now in clinical trials. The range of approaches to applying AIT in the clinic prevents a consensus on the molecular basis for this form of tolerance. In particular, there has been a paucity of information on how pre-activated effector and memory T cells respond to AIT. New, advanced murine models of AIT are beginning to deliver such information at the cellular, biochemical, transcriptional and epigenetic levels.