Adoptive Transfer of Dendritic Cells Expressing Fas Ligand Modulates Intestinal Inflammation in a Model of Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Tackling Inflammatory Bowel Diseases: Targeting Proinflammatory Cytokines and Lymphocyte Homing

Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) are characterized by chronic inflammatory disorders that are a result of an abnormal immune response mediated by a cytokine storm and immune cell infiltration. Proinflammatory cytokine therapeutic agents, represented by TNF inhibitors, have developed rapidly over recent years and are promising options for treating IBD. Antagonizing interleukins, interferons, and Janus kinases have demonstrated their respective advantages in clinical trials and are candidates for anti-TNF therapeutic failure. Furthermore, the blockade of lymphocyte homing contributes to the excessive immune response in colitis and ameliorates inflammation and tissue damage. Factors such as integrins, selectins, and chemokines jointly coordinate the accumulation of immune cells in inflammatory regions. This review assembles the major targets and agents currently targeting proinflammatory cytokines and lymphatic trafficking to facilitate subsequent drug development.

Functions of Dendritic Cells and Its Association with Intestinal Diseases

Dendritic cells (DCs), including conventional DCs (cDCs) and plasmacytoid DCs (pDCs), serve as the sentinel cells of the immune system and are responsible for presenting antigen information. Moreover, the role of DCs derived from monocytes (moDCs) in the development of inflammation has been emphasized. Several studies have shown that the function of DCs can be influenced by gut microbes including gut bacteria and viruses. Abnormal changes/reactions in intestinal DCs are potentially associated with diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and intestinal tumors, allowing DCs to be a new target for the treatment of these diseases. In this review, we summarized the physiological functions of DCs in the intestinal micro-environment, their regulatory relationship with intestinal microorganisms and their regulatory mechanism in intestinal diseases.