The essential trace element zinc is indispensable for proper immune function as zinc deficiency accompanies immune defects and dysregulations like allergies, autoimmunity and an increased presence of transplant rejection. This point to the importance of the physiological and dietary control of zinc levels for a functioning immune system. This study investigates the capacity of zinc to induce immune tolerance. The beneficial impact of physiological zinc supplementation of 6 μg/day (0.3mg/kg body weight) or 30 μg/day (1.5mg/kg body weight) on murine experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), an animal model for multiple sclerosis with a Th1/Th17 (Th, T helper) cell-dominated immunopathogenesis, was analyzed. Zinc administration diminished EAE scores in C57BL/6 mice in vivo (P<.05), reduced Th17 RORγT(+) cells (P<.05) and significantly increased inducible iTreg cells (P<.05). While Th17 cells decreased systemically, iTreg cells accumulated in the central nervous system. Cumulatively, zinc supplementation seems to be capable to induce tolerance in unwanted immune reactions by increasing iTreg cells. This makes zinc a promising future tool for treating autoimmune diseases without suppressing the immune system.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jnutbio.2015.11.010 | DOI Listing |
Front Immunol
January 2025
Microbiology and Cell Science, Institute of Food and Agricultural Science, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States.
Introduction: Recurrent uveitis (RU), an autoimmune disease, is a leading cause of ocular detriment in humans and horses. Equine and human RU share many similarities including spontaneous disease and aberrant cytokine signaling. Reduced levels of SOCS1, a critical regulator of cytokine signaling, is associated with several autoimmune diseases.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDrug Des Devel Ther
January 2025
Shanxi Key Laboratory of Innovative Drug for the Treatment of Serious Diseases Basing on the Chronic Inflammation, College of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Food Engineering, Shanxi University of Chinese Medicine, Jinzhong, People's Republic of China.
Background: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory autoimmune disease in which macrophages produce cytokines that enhance inflammation and contribute to the destruction of cartilage and bone. Additive Sishen decoction (ASSD) is a widely used traditional Chinese medicine for the treatment of RA; however, its active ingredients and the mechanism of its therapeutic effects remain unclear.
Methods: To predict the ingredients and key targets of ASSD, we constructed "drug-ingredient-target-disease" and protein-protein interaction networks.
Background: Myasthenia gravis (MG) and idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIM) are autoimmune disorders that can co-occur, complicating diagnosis and treatment. The molecular mechanisms underlying this comorbidity are not well understood.
Objective: This study aims to identify common differentially expressed genes (co-DEGs) between MG and IIM to elucidate shared pathogenic pathways and potential therapeutic targets.
J Biol Chem
January 2025
Department of Neurology, Henry Ford Health, Detroit, MI 48202, USA. Electronic address:
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a prevalent inflammatory neurodegenerative disease in young people, causing neurological abnormalities and impairment. To investigate a novel therapeutic agent for MS, we observed the impact of maresin 1 (MaR1) on disease progression in a well-known, relapsing-remitting experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (RR-EAE) mouse model. Treatment with MaR1 accelerated inflammation resolution, reduced neurological impairment, and delayed disease development by reducing immune cell infiltration (CD4+IL-17+ and CD4+IFNγ+) into the central nervous system (CNS).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Neuroimmunol
January 2025
Hotchkiss Brain Institute and Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta T2N 4N1, Canada; Department of Biology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, Ontario L5L 1C6, Canada; Department of Immunology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A8, Canada. Electronic address:
The extracellular matrix (ECM) plays an important role in the central nervous system (CNS), shaping tissue structure and functions as well as contributing to the pathology of chronic diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS). ECM components, including fibulin-2 (FBLN2) and chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans (CSPGs), may impact neuroinflammation and remyelination. We investigated the capacity of FBLN2 to modulate immune responses and evaluated its interaction with CSPGs in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), a common model for MS.
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