NYC Gazette

A recent study conducted by researchers at NYU Langone Health has identified a specific type of immune cell that plays a crucial role in preventing food allergies. The study highlights that these cells, known as "tolerogenic dendritic cells," are found in the intestines and help reduce immune responses triggered by food proteins. When these cells malfunction, allergies may occur.

The study, published in the journal Nature, shows that these cells require certain proteins, like Retinoic Acid–Related Orphan Receptor-gamma-t (RORγt) and PR domain–containing 16 (Prdm16), to function correctly. Without these cells functioning properly, mice in the study developed a higher likelihood of food allergies and asthma. Dr. Dan L. Littman, senior author of the study, explained, "Our study shows that RORγt-expressing dendritic cells are key components in the immune regulatory response that prevents food allergies."

Additionally, the study reveals that these cells play a role beyond tolerating food proteins. They also maintain tolerance of friendly gut bacteria and may be significant in preventing autoimmune diseases, such as Crohn’s disease. Dr. Littman remarked, "This discovery adds evidence to our earlier work showing that these cells also keep the peace with the vast microbiome."

The research examined the genes and proteins expressed by these cells and compared them to known cell types, concluding they are a form of immune cell called a dendritic cell. These dendritic cells typically alert another immune cell, the T cell, to attack foreign material. However, in this case, the tolerogenic dendritic cells cause T cells to become "regulatory" rather than inflammatory.

The study findings extend to human biology, as researchers also identified the human equivalents of these tolerogenic dendritic cells. While it is not clear how abundant these cells are in humans, this discovery could pave the way for innovative allergy treatments. Dr. Littman noted, "If further experiments prove successful, our findings could lead to innovative ways to treat food allergies."

The study was supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health. In addition to Dr. Littman, the research team included co-first authors Liuhui Fu, Rabi Upadhyay, MD, and Maria Pokrovskii, among others. Dr. Littman has affiliations with various biotech and pharmaceutical companies, though these institutions were not involved in the current study. The research was conducted following NYU Langone Health’s policies on managing such affiliations.