Labrafil--a new adjuvant for peptide-specific oral tolerance in rat experimental autoimmune uveitis

Prolonged survival time of allografts by the oral administration of RDP58 linked to the cholera toxin B subunit

Oral administration, which has been identified as a tool for boosting physiological immunoregulatory mechanisms in an antigen-specific manner, is a more convenient way than classical parenteral injection methods. RDP58 is derived from specific regions of class-I MHC molecules and is known to have immunomodulatory effects after intraperitoneal injection or intravenous administration. To determine whether the oral administration of RDP58 conjugated to the cholera toxin B subunit (CTB) can better induce peripheral tolerance than the use of traditional methods, we used various feeding regimens and methods of administration using equivalent doses of antigen during rat kidney transplantation. The results showed that RDP58-GC/CTB treatment increased the activity of Haem oxygenase-1 (HO-1) in vivo and significantly improved the survival and histopathology of allograft kidney tissue relative to the oral administration of RDP58 alone. These results suggest that the administration of RDP58 linked to CTB outweighs the benefits of oral administration of RDP58 alone for prolonging the survival time of kidney transplantation. This study supports the potential therapeutic use of oral administration of RDP58 linked to CTB as a platform molecule in the treatment of allograft rejection.

Induction of immune tolerance by activation of CD8+ T suppressor/regulatory cells in lupus-prone mice

Multiple CD8(+) suppressive T cell (Ts) subtypes are now recognized as essential regulators of the immune system that prevent autoimmunity through secretion of multiple cytokines and the subsequent inhibition of effector lymphocyte function. CD8(+) Ts are an exciting area of study because of the possible therapeutic implications of inducing suppressive cells that are able to subdue or anergize autoimmune manifestations. Current research in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), a disease in which most effective therapies are widely immunosuppressive, is often focused on novel and highly targeted ways in which to treat this multiorgan disease. CD8(+) Ts have been impaired in human and murine SLE. Our group and others have utilized tolerogenic peptides to induce and study CD8(+) Ts to understand their function, as well as investigate a possible new SLE therapy. This review will discuss the similarities and differences in CD8(+) Ts subsets, the concept of tolerance as a therapy, and the current understanding of CD8(+) Ts in mouse SLE models.