research
Tissue-specific Regulation of Immune Responses to Dietary Proteins
- Publication date
- 16 March 2011
- Publisher
- __Abstract__
The term oral (or mucosal) tolerance has been defined as the suppression of T- and B-cell
responses to an antigen by prior administration of the antigen by the oral route . From this
definition, it can be inferred that mucosal tolerance is not just the ignorance of antigens that
are applied via the mucosa or the absence of an immune response, but quite the contrary,
mucosal tolerance refers to a dynamic process that depends on the active suppression of
antigen-specific immune responses. Although such induction of immunological tolerance is not
exclusive for antigens encountered via the mucosa and can be achieved outside the mucosal
environment as well, it is well established that specific features of mucosal tissues favor
the induction of tolerance. Here we discuss the mechanisms that are required for the induction
of mucosal tolerance and the unique properties of the mucosal microenvironment that allow
for intestinal homeostasis and the development of mucosal tolerance.