Molecular Mechanisms of Dendritic Cell-Mediated Immune Tolerance and Autoimmunity


Book Description

Dendritic cells (DCs) play a critical role in immune system, as they are necessary both for innate and adaptive immunity. According to their function, dendritic cells can be classified in immune tolerogenic or inflammatory DCs. DCs have been shown to regulate T cell-mediated immune responses and lead to immune tolerance and autoimmunity. For example, immune-tolerogenic DCs facilitate the development of regulatory T cells and inhibit T helper 17-mediated autoimmunity in mice with experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis. Moreover, inflammatory DCs activate CD8+ and CD4+ T cells and elicit T cell-mediated inflammatory immune responses in vivo. However, the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying DC-mediated immune tolerance and autoimmunity are still obscure.










Molecular Mechanisms of Immunological Self-Recognition


Book Description

Molecular Mechanisms of Immunological Self-Recognition covers the understanding of immunological self-recognition. The introductory chapter of the book summarizes the dawn of the insight into immunological tolerance, and provides an overview of research on the underlying mechanisms. The book addresses the developments in the molecular mechanisms of B and T cell tolerance and describes the failure of tolerance in autoimmunity. The text concludes by furnishing orienting perspectives and highlighting new information presented. The novel findings characterized as impressive advances pertain to the areas of B cell development and the generation of molecular diversity; V gene usage, especially from transgenes, in positive and negative thymic selection; the handling of positive and negative signals by T and B cells; anergy in postthymic T cells; the design of peptide-based therapy for autoimmune diseases; and the design of therapy with the aid of monoclonal antibodies. Immunologists will find the text useful.




Immunological Tolerance


Book Description

This book brings together material on all aspects of immunological tolerance. Basic mechanisms of tolerance are examined in detail, including mechanisms of peripheral T cell tolerance, molecular and genetic mechanisms for maintaining self tolerance, partial T cell activation, and the role of apoptosis in tolerance. Careful consideration is also given to the clinical applications of our understanding of immunological tolerance, with specific chapters dealing with T cell activation during tumour therapy, antiantigen specific immune suppression, tolerance in infectious diseases, tolerance during pregnancy, and tolerance during various autoimmune diseases.




Immunological Tolerance


Book Description

Immunological Tolerance: Mechanisms and Potential Therapeutic Applications documents the proceedings of a conference held at Brook Lodge, Michigan, April 27-May 1, 1974. The conference brought together many of the investigators who have actively contributed to furthering knowledge and understanding of immunological tolerance. It will be immediately clear to the reader that the conference was structured in a way to consider phenomena of tolerance and immune suppression as interrelated entities with a certain degree of emphasis on the possible common cellular mechanisms involved. The volume contains 36 contributions presented during the seven sessions of the conference. The papers presented in Session I examined T-cell tolerance. The presentations in Session II focused on B cell tolerance. The papers in Sessions III and IV focused on the mechanisms of B cell and T cell tolerance, respectively. Session V dealt with the activity of suppressor cells as a mechanism of tolerance. The papers in Session VI investigated the suppressive activity of antibody and antigen-antibody complexes. In Session VII a final General Discussion was held in order to identify what has been established concerning the phenomenology and mechanisms of specific immunological tolerance, what are the major unresolved issues, and what approaches appear most promising to answer these questions.










Oral Tolerance


Book Description

Oral tolerance is a major immunological property of the gastrointestinal mucosa. It plays a critical role in immune defence by preventing inflammatory and allergic responses to dietary and non pathogenic microbial antigens. The interest in oral tolerance has been renewed in the recent years, due to novel insights on its cellular mechanisms and potential clinical applications in the treatment of autoimmune diseases. Oral Tolerance: Cellular and Molecular Basis, Clinical Aspects, and Therapeutic Potential, has been designed as a concise yet comprehensive overview of the newest fundamental and clinical advances in the field. Based on the outstanding contribution of world experts, this book will be helpful to students, clinicians, and researchers working in mucosal immunology and gastroenterology. The first part of this volume describes the structure and functions of the gastrointestinal mucosa and the fundamental features and mechanisms of oral tolerance, including the role of T cells, cytokines, IgA antibodies, and bacterial antigens. The second part explores the clinical implications of the disruption of oral tolerance in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases, food and milk allergies, and coeliac disease in particular. The final chapter focuses on the clinical potential of oral tolerance as a promising therapeutic tool.