Mainz University. Germany: Discovery improves understanding of the cause of allergic asthma and may serve as an early diagnostic marker. When the mucosal surfaces in the lungs of healthy people come into
contact with allergenic substances, so-called regulatory T cells also
known as Treg cells, are activated. These are capable of actively
preventing the development of allergies. However, if these regulatory
mechanisms malfunction the cells of the immune system attack innocuous
substances which enter the body from the environment, ultimately leading
to the development of atopic diseases such as allergic asthma. In
western countries, asthma is the most common chronic disease in children
under the age of 15 years.
Professor Tobias Bopp, Professor Edgar Schmitt,
and Dr. Alexander Ulges of the Institute of Immunology at the University
Medical Center of Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU) have made
major progress towards explaining the underlying mechanisms by
identifying a previously unknown sub-population of regulatory T cells.
The researchers discovered that this Treg cell type plays a decisive
role in the development and manifestation of allergic asthma. They thus
conclude that an increased level of this Treg cell population could
serve as an early diagnostic indicator of a predisposition to allergic
diseases. The results of the research undertaken by Bopp and his
colleagues appear in the specialist journal Nature Immunology.
Their investigations showed that the Treg cell
sub-population they discovered can be distinguished by a molecule known
as immunoglobulin-like transcript 3 (ILT3), a protein which is expressed
on the surface of these cells. This molecule probably serves as a
“brake” leading to inactivation of the main function of Treg cells,
which is to prevent excessive immune reactions. "This finding is of
considerable importance. It is the first time we have identified a
sub-population of regulatory T cells whose ability to suppress
immunological reactions can be influenced," explained Professor Tobias
Bopp. In addition, the research team discovered that the development of
ILT3 in Treg cells is regulated by protein kinase CK2. In general,
protein kinases are mainly responsible for the transmission of
extra-cellular signals within cells. "So we now know not only how the
newly discovered Treg cell sub-population is generated, but also how it
can be manipulated. This helps us to better understand how allergic
asthma develops and how it can be diagnosed earlier," concluded Bopp.
"This insight has massive potential, not only
when it comes to the treatment of allergies. This could also represent
an important starting point for the development of innovative approaches
to the therapy of autoimmune diseases, tumors, and chronic infections.
These are exactly the research areas on which we are currently focusing
at the Research Center for Immunotherapy," emphasized Professor Hansjörg
Schild, head of the research center at Mainz University.