title: Killer artificial antigen-presenting cells: the synthetic embodiment of a 'guided missile'.
abstract: At present, the treatment of T-cell-dependent autoimmune diseases relies exclusively on strategies leading to nonspecific suppression of the immune systems causing a substantial reduced ability to control concomitant infections or malignancies. Furthermore, long-term treatment with most drugs is accompanied by several serious adverse effects and does not consequently result in cure of the primary immunological malfunction. By contrast, antigen-specific immunotherapy offers the potential to achieve the highest therapeutic efficiency in accordance with minimal adverse effects. Therefore, several studies have been performed utilizing antigen-presenting cells specifically engineered to deplete allo- or antigen-specific T cells ('guided missiles'). Many of these strategies take advantage of the Fas/Fas ligand signaling pathway to efficiently induce antigen-presenting cell-mediated apoptosis in targeted T cells. In this article, we discuss the advantages and shortcomings of a novel non-cell-based 'killer artificial antigen-presenting cell' strategy, developed to overcome obstacles related to current cell-based approaches for the treatment of T-cell-mediated autoimmunity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine I, University Medical Center Regensburg, Franz-Josef-Strauss-Allee 11, 93042 Regensburg, Germany. christian.schuetz@klinik.uni-r.de
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Schütz
authors.forename: Mathias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Oelke
authors.forename: Jonathan P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Schneck
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mackensen
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fleck
mesh_terms: D000938:Antigen-Presenting Cells / Q000276:immunology* / Q000637:transplantation; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007167:Immunotherapy; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology* / Q000637:transplantation