Future Targets for Immune Therapy in Colitis?

Abstract

Crohn's disease and Ulcerative Colitis, collectively termed inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), are chronic inflammatory disorders of the bowel. It is generally accepted that the pathology associated with IBD is characterized by a hyper-reactive immune response in the gut wall directed against the commensal intestinal bacterial flora, and that the CD4+ T cells dominate the adaptive immune response. Chemokines are small proteins involved in the guidance of migration of immune cells during normal homeostasis and inflammation. Chemokines have been shown to play a central role in recruiting inflammatory cells to the inflamed bowel of IBD patients, making the chemokine/receptor system appealing as new therapeutic targets to sustain remission in these patients. In the severe combined immunodeficiency transfer model of colitis, which histopathologically resembles human IBD, low numbers of CD4+CD25- T cells from congenic normal mice are transplanted into immune deficient mice, which in turn develop a chronic lethal colitis within 1-2 months. By simultaneous transplantation of CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cells (Tregs) it is possible to hinder development of colitis. Thus the model is well suited for studying mechanisms underling both the effector and the regulatory components of chronic inflammation. In the current review we discuss new possible targets for immune therapy in colitis.

Alleviation of Ulcerative Colitis Potentially through th1/th2 Cytokine Balance by a Mixture of Rg3-enriched Korean Red Ginseng Extract and Persicaria tinctoria

“…The production of these chemicals requires timely management. Otherwise, they become major players in the erosion of intestinal epithelium [ 28 ]. As shown from our results, a combination of Rg3-RGE and PT synergistically hindered the interpretation of such pro-inflammatory mediators and cytokines in DSS-induced colitis mice’s macrophage cells, colon tissue, and plasma ( Figure 2 , Figure 3 , Figure 5 and Figure 6 ).…”

Anti-inflammatory effects of methanol extract of Patrinia scabiosaefolia in mice with ulcerative colitis

“…Several reports have concluded that colonic inflammation due to the aberrant activations of intestinal immune cells causes excessive pro-inflammatory cytokine secretion (Cuzzocrea, 2003;Kristensen and Claesson, 2008;Sartor, 1997). In particular, the bindings of TNF-␣, IL-1␤, and IL-6 to intestinal immune cells amplifies immune response by enhancing the proliferation of T cells, and thus, promoting leukocyte infiltration and facilitating cell-cell signaling (Neuman, 2004).…”

Anti-inflammatory effect of a standardized triterpenoid-rich fraction isolated from Rubus coreanus on dextran sodium sulfate-induced acute colitis in mice and LPS-induced macrophages

“…Several authors have reported colonic inflammation due to excessive secretions of pro-inflammatory cytokine by aberrantly activated intestinal immune cells (Sartor, 1997;Cuzzocrea, 2003;Kristensen and Claesson, 2008). To determine mucosal inflammatory states more precisely, we estimated the colonic TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 levels using EIAs.…”