Interferon gamma: friend or foe?

Journal article

Interferon gamma (IFN-gamma) can elicit an inflammatory TH1-driven immune response but has also been found to be necessary for long-term allograft survival induced by costimulation blockade. Recently, we have found that regulatory T cells rapidly and transiently produce IFN-gamma creating a microenvironment that can influence the function of antigen presenting cells (APCs), T-cell proliferation and activation as well as T-cell effector mechanisms, thereby controlling immune responses locally. Moreover, addition of IFN-gamma to cocultures of T cells and APCs can drive the generation of T cells with regulatory activity. Thus, the influence of IFN-gamma on the immune response to a transplant is likely to be context dependent.

Authors: Wood, K; Feng, G; Wei, B; Sawitzki, B; Bushell, A

• Publication status: Published
• Journal: Transplantation
• Volume: 84
• Issue: 1 Suppl
• Pages: S4-S5
• Publication date: 2007-07-01
• DOI: 10.1097/01.tp.0000269115.60728.b1
• EISSN: 1534-6080
• ISSN: 0041-1337
• Language: English
• Keywords: Models, Immunological; Animals; Interferon-gamma