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Insulin-like growth factor enhanced T regulatory cells, inhibited allergic inflammation

The activation of insulin-like growth factor 2 enhanced T regulatory cell functions by suppressing other effector T cell activities and inhibiting allergic inflammation in the intestine, results from a an experimental model suggest.

“The results demonstrate that the present study has advanced our knowledge of the Treg cell function and immunotherapy with iTreg cells,” researchers wrote.

Researchers studied both mice and human subjects for the analysis; observing that the expression of insulin-like growth factor 2 (IGF-2) was identified in more than 90% of murine and human Treg cells but in less than 10% of effector CD4+ T cells.

In addition, the activation of IGF-2 receptors and T-cell receptors led to marked Treg cell proliferation and the release of TGF-beta from Treg cells, thus enhancing Treg cell immunosuppression of effector T cell activities and allergic inflammation due to food allergies in the intestine, researchers wrote.

They added that the data are in line with previous studies and that further investigation is warranted to confirm the modulation of effector T cell activities in intestinal inflammation.

Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.