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Mucosal immunology

IECs keep the peace

Nature Reviews Immunology volume 7, page 249 (2007)Cite this article

Previous data have shown that IECs might have a role in the regulation of innate immunity in vitro, but the role of these cells in vivo was not known. Using a mouse model of intestinal nematode infection with Trichuris muris, the authors examined the role of IECs in the regulation of T-cell-mediated inflammation and immunity.

DNA-binding assays showed that in IECs, in vivo, T. muris induced the activation of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) in an IκB kinase-β (IKKβ)-dependent manner. So, the authors generated mice in which IKKβ was specifically deleted in IECs (IkkbΔIEC mice) to determine the influence of IKKβ-dependent IEC-derived products on the immune response in the gut. IkkbΔIEC mice infected with T. muris failed to mount a protective T helper 2 (TH2)-cell response and clear the pathogen. In addition, the authors observed an increase in the production of the shared p40 subunit of interleukin-12 (IL-12) and IL-23 (known as IL-12/IL-23 p40) by dendritic cells (DCs), as well as interferon-γ (IFNγ) and IL-17 by CD4+T cells in IkkbΔIEC mice compared with litter-mate control mice.

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ORIGINAL RESEARCH PAPER

  1. Zaph, C. et al. Epithelial-cell-intrinsic IKK-β expression regulates intestinal immune homeostasis. Nature 25 February 2007 (doi: 10.1038/nature05590)

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Authors
  1. Olive Leavy
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Leavy, O. IECs keep the peace. Nat Rev Immunol 7, 249 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1038/nri2060

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nri2060

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