The gastrointestinal tract is continuously exposed to foreign antigens in food and commensal microbes that have the potential to induce adaptive immune responses for food allergies.
In a new study published by Nature titled, “Prdm16-dependent antigen-presenting cells induce tolerance to gut antigens,” researchers from New York University (NYU) Langone Health have revealed that a special group of cells in the intestines, termed tolerogenic dendritic cells (tDC), reduce the immune responses caused by exposure to food proteins to prevent allergies.
Upon genetic perturbation of tDC, the authors observed a compromised tolerance in mouse models of asthma and food allergy, as illustrated by a substantial increase in food antigen-specific T helper 2 (Th2) cells, which are involved in immune responses…