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- Anastasi, E, et al.
(författare)
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Expression of activated Notch3 in transgenic mice enhances generation of T regulatory cells and protects against experimental autoimmune diabetes
- 2003
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Ingår i: Journal of immunology (Baltimore, Md. : 1950). - : The American Association of Immunologists. - 0022-1767 .- 1550-6606. ; 171:9, s. 4504-4511
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Thymic-derived dysregulated tolerance has been suggested to occur in type 1 diabetes via impaired generation of CD4+CD25+ T regulatory cells, leading to autoimmune β cell destruction. In this study, we demonstrate that Notch3 expression is a characteristic feature of CD4+CD25+ cells. Furthermore, streptozotocin-induced autoimmune diabetes fails to develop in transgenic mice carrying the constitutively active intracellular domain of Notch3 in thymocytes and T cells. The failure to develop the disease is associated with an increase of CD4+CD25+ T regulatory cells, accumulating in lymphoid organs, in pancreas infiltrates and paralleled by increased expression of IL-4 and IL-10. Accordingly, CD4+ T cells from Notch3-transgenic mice inhibit the development of hyperglycemia and insulitis when injected into streptozotocin-treated wild-type mice and display in vitro suppressive activity. These observations, therefore, suggest that Notch3-mediated events regulate the expansion and function of T regulatory cells, leading to protection from experimental autoimmune diabetes and identify the Notch pathway as a potential target for therapeutic intervention in type 1 diabetes.
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