The Journal of Immunology, 2007, 178: 39.9.
Copyright © 2007 by The American Association of Immunologists, Inc.
A CD1d-dependent antagonist inhibits the activation of iNKT cells and prevents development of allergen-induced airway hyperreactivity
Omid Akbari1,
Wen Yang2,
Everett Meyer1,
Dale T Umetsu1 and
S. Brian Wilson2
1 Division of Immunology, Childrens Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 1 Blackfan Circle, Boston, MA, 02115,
2 Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 65 Landsdowne St., Cambridge, MA, 02139
Abstract
The prevalence of asthma continues to increase and its optimal treatment remains a significant therapeutic challenge. Recently, CD1d-restricted iNKT cells were found to play a critical role in the induction of airway hyperreactivity (AHR) in rodents and are associated with severe peristent asthma in humans. To test whether iNKT cell-targeted therapy could be used to treat allergen-induced airway hyperreactivity disease, mice sensitized with ovalbumin were treated with a CD1d-binding lipid antagonist, DPPE-PEG. A single dose of DPPE-PEG prevented the development of AHR and pulmonary infiltrates after ovalbumin challenge, but not the development of ovalbumin-specific Th2 responses. Because iNKT cells play a critical role in the development of AHR, the inhibition of iNKT activation by DPPE-PEG suggests a novel therapy for iNKT cell-mediated diseases such as asthma.