Human myeloid dendritic cells are refractory to tryptophan metabolites.

The enzyme indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) degrades the essential amino acid tryptophan and is expressed, among other cell types, in immune cells such as dendritic cells (DCs), monocytes, and macrophages. It has been shown that the activity of IDO has a broad regulatory function in the immune system by inhibiting effector T-cell responses, inducing regulatory T cells and facilitating the development of regulatory DCs. The degradation of tryptophan has 2 consequences, both of which have been postulated to be physiologically relevant, namely the reduction of tryptophan levels and the accumulation of tryptophan catabolites.

Rhealba® oat plantlet extract: evidence of protein-free content and assessment of regulatory activity on immune inflammatory mediators.

Owing to their high content of flavonoids and saponins, plantlets of Avena sativa L. (Poaceae) are likely to possess anti-inflammatory and immunoregulatory properties of value in the treatment of atopic dermatitis (AD). With a view to its potential use in atopic subjects at risk of developing sensitisation to dietary proteins, we prepared a plantlet extract without proteins and isolated 2 flavonoids, isoorientin-2''- O-arabinoside (1) and isovitexin-2''- O-arabinoside (2), and two saponins, avenacosides A (3) and B (4).

Tryptophan deprivation induces inhibitory receptors ILT3 and ILT4 on dendritic cells favoring the induction of human CD4+CD25+ Foxp3+ T regulatory cells.

Tryptophan catabolism through IDO activity can cause nonresponsiveness and tolerance acting on T cells. Given the crucial importance of dendritic cells (DCs) in the initiation of a T cell response, surprisingly little is known about the impact of IDO activity and tryptophan deprivation on DCs themselves. In the present study, we show that human DCs differentiated under low-tryptophan conditions acquire strong tolerogenic capacity.