Retinoic acid: an educational "vitamin elixir" for gut-seeking T cells.
T cell priming by dendritic cells (DC) from gut-associated lymphoid tissues gives rise to effector cells with pronounced gut tropism. The mechanism for DC-dependent imprinting of gut specificity has remained unknown. New findings point to retinoic acid, which is uniquely produced by intestinal DC, but not by DC from other lymphoid organs.
The CBR Institute for Biomedical Research and Department of Pathology, Harvard Medical School, 200 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
J Rodrigo
JR
Mora
Ulrich H
UH
von Andrian
D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000276:immunology; D004064:Digestive System / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology; D008221:Lymphoid Tissue / Q000276:immunology; D016201:Receptors, Lymphocyte Homing / Q000276:immunology; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000276:immunology*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology; D014212:Tretinoin / Q000494:pharmacology*
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D016201:Receptors, Lymphocyte Homing; D014212:Tretinoin