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Regulatory T cells require WASp if they are to prevent self-destruction
January 12, 2007In humans, mutation of the gene encoding a protein known as WASp leads to susceptibility to infections and systemic autoimmunity. Most studies have focused on understanding the defects in T cell activation caused by the WASp deficiency, but researchers at the University of Washington in Seattle have now found that in mice and humans a population of T cells known as regulatory T cells (Treg), which keep other immune cells from attacking the body's own tissues and causing autoimmunity, are also impaired in the absence of WASp.
In the study, which appears online on January 11 in advance of publication in the February print issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation, David Rawlings and colleagues show that like WASp-deficient humans, WASp-deficient mice develop systemic autoimmune disease. This was not due to a defect in the number of Treg that developed in the mice, but due to a defect in their ability to control autoimmunity. Consistent with this, the peripheral blood of a WASp-deficient patient in whom a spontaneous revertant mutation occurred had substantial numbers of WASp+ Treg. These cells were able to ameliorate this individual's recurrent episodes of autoimmune hemolytic anemia, indicating that a defect in Treg function is likely to contribute to the systemic autoimmunity from which individuals lacking WASp suffer.
Journal of Clinical Investigation
Autoimmunity Current Events and Autoimmunity News RSSStanford study identifies cellular mechanism that causes lupuslike symptoms in mice
Macrophages, the scavenger cells of the body's immune system, are responsible for disposing of dying cells. Stanford University School of Medicine researchers have identified one pathway in this important process in mice that, if disrupted, causes a lupuslike autoimmune disease.
Visionary concept earns La Jolla Institute scientist prestigious NIH Pioneer Award
A scientist at the La Jolla Institute for Allergy & Immunology has received one of the National Institutes of Health (NIH)'s top awards -- the 2009 NIH Director's Pioneer Award.
Autoimmune response can induce pancreatic tumor rejection
Immune responses are capable of killing tumors before they can be directed toward normal body tissue, according to new scientific findings published in Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.
Pitt researchers find promising candidate protein for cancer prevention vaccines
Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine have learned that some healthy people naturally developed an immune response against a protein that is made in excess levels in many cancers, including breast, lung, and head and neck cancers.
Sun exposure may trigger certain autoimmune diseases in women
Ultraviolet (UV) radiation from sunlight may be associated with the development of certain autoimmune diseases, particularly in women.
Study aims to induce recovery from ankylosing spondylitis
Chinese patients will soon have the opportunity to take part in a study of a novel therapy aimed at reversing the autoimmune disease, ankylosing spondylitis.
Gene regulates immune cells' ability to harm the body
A recently identified gene allows immune cells to start the self-destructive processes thought to underlie autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS) and rheumatoid arthritis.
Investigation finds that cigarette smoking does not affect everyone in same way
Cigarette smoking induced COPD, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, is a disease that results in severe breathing difficulty.
Omega fatty acid balance can alter immunity and gene expression
For the past century, changes in the Western diet have altered the consumption of omega-6 fatty acids (w6, found in meat and vegetable oils) compared with omega-3 fatty acids (w3, found in flax and fish oil).
Two targeted therapies likely better than one in patients with aggressive lymphoma
When combined with a cocktail of chemotherapy drugs, two monoclonal antibodies, instead of one, appear to offer superior results in patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, according to Mayo Clinic researchers working with the North Central Cancer Treatment Group (NCCTG).
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