International Immunology 2009 21(1):NP; doi:10.1093/intimm/dxn138
© The Japanese Society for Immunology. 2009. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oxfordjournals.org
IN THIS ISSUE
 |
CRTH2 antagonism blocks skin inflammation
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|---|
Here,
Boehme et al. (p. 1) examine ovalbumin-induced murine
atopic dermatitis treated with an antagonist of CRTH2 (chemoattractant
receptor homologous molecule expressed on T
h2 cells) —
one of the PGD
2 receptors —and show decreased cutaneous
inflammation and antigen-specific antibody production, suggesting
a pivotal role for this receptor. The authors then describe
specific effects on dendritic cell functions.
|
F. novicida disrupts STAT1 signalling
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Francisella novicida models tularaemia, but the role of signal
transducer and activator of transcription 1 (STAT1) in this
disease is unknown.
Satoskar and colleagues (p. 19) show that
STAT1 –/– mice have more-severe pathology than wild-type
mice after infection.
F. novicida also suppresses a range of
functions in macrophages, in particular, IFN production and
activation of CD4
+ T cells.
|
 c cytokines and survival of CD127+ T cells
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|---|
CD127 (IL-7R
) is a marker of CD8
+ memory cells.
Angel and colleagues (p. 29) examine responses to other cytokines that signal via
c, and show different responses to cell division and anti-apoptotic
signals between CD8
+CD127
+ and CD8
+CD127
– cells. The authors
discuss implications for diseases in which CD127 expression
varies, for example cancer and progressive viral infections
such as HIV.
|
The B-1 cell repertoire is determined by the pre-BCR
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The skewed repertoire of the enigmatic, phosphatidylcholine-reactive
B-1 B cell subset was thought to be due to antigen-driven clonal
selection and expansion; however,
Karasuyama and colleagues (p. 43) show that the characteristic B-1 cell J-chain usage
is established in the foetal liver early in B cell ontogeny
and is antigen-independent. The authors also describe possible
molecular mechanisms and consequences.
|
Two phenotypes of melanoma-specific T cells expand in vitro
|
|---|
Tarazona and colleagues (p. 53) examine
in vitro expansion of
naïve human melanoma-specific CD8
+ cells. Some donors’
cultures have low levels of expansion, but show high cytotoxicity
and a CD45RA
+CCR7
– phenotype; other donors’ cultures
have higher expansion but are noncytotoxic, with a CD45RA
–CCR7
– phenotype. These results have clear importance for generating
cells in adoptive immunotherapy.
|
Immunodominant epitopes of SARS
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Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is potentially a major
public-health problem; it is caused by a coronavirus (CoV).
Using tetramer-guided epitope mapping,
Kwok and colleagues (p. 63) identified four immunodominant HLA-DR0401-restricted epitopes
of SARS-CoV in healthy, naïve subjects. These findings
are important for future vaccination strategies and the technique
can be applied to other emerging pathogens.
|
IFN- and IL-6 control superantigen-mediated T cell death
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Some pathogens contain superantigens, which cause excessive
activation and death of CD4
+ T cells in many diseases.
Murakami and colleagues (p. 73) reveal an important role for CD8
+ T cell
derived IFN-
in this cell death. The authors also show that
IL-6 in the CD8
+ cells can suppress this process. This novel
axis may represent a therapeutic target.
|
FITC-induced skin inflammation requires CRTH2
|
|---|
In this article,
Boehme et al. (p. 81) examine FITC-induced
murine contact sensitivity and undertake gene-expression analysis
after treatment with a CRTH2 (chemoattractant receptor homologous
molecule expressed on T
h2 cells) antagonist. Decreased transcription
of a wide range of inflammatory mediators occurred. This correlated
with decreased levels of many cytokines and chemokines. The
authors conclude that CRTH inhibits multiple pathways.
|
Substrate recognition by human chymase
|
|---|
Chymase is a major component of mast cell granules but its substrate
range has still not been fully elucidated.
Hellman and colleagues (p. 95) use a phage-displayed random nonapeptide library to
show that human chymase has a fairly narrow substrate-recognition
profile. The results will help predict and identify substrates,
and thus suggest novel functions for chymase.
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CRTH2 antagonism blocks skin...
F. novicida disrupts STAT1...