Epigenetic mechanisms by which vitamin D regulates immune system tolerance

Researchers at the Josep Carreras Leukemia Institute and Trias i Pujol Hospital in Germany have discovered an epigenetic mechanism by which vitamin D promotes the tolerance signature of dendritic cells, which controls the immune response against autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis and rheumatism.

Tuesday, January 19, 2022

Dr.

Dendritic cells are immune cells found in blood and tissues that detect potential threats and display them to lymphocytes in lymph nodes

Dendritic cells are known to develop a tolerance profile when they are treated with vitamin D, so using tolerogenic dendritic cell therapy in MS patients can slow disease progression

However, the mechanism by which this tolerance emerges is unclear, a fact that hinders further understanding of this therapeutic approach

Thus, the researchers successfully demonstrated for the first time that the relationship between vitamin D and the development of dendritic cell tolerance profiles is due to the modification of epigenetic marks by TET2 through IL-6-JAK-STAT3, a very well-known clinical target

With this new information, the door opens to the use of existing drugs that interfere with the STAT3 pathway and optimize the production of tolerogenic dendritic cells that could halt the progression of multiple sclerosis and other autoimmune diseases

This research was partially funded by the ERDF Fund and the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation

article title

Vitamin D receptor, STAT3, and TET2 cooperate to establish tolerogenesis