Regulation of TGFβ in the immune system: an emerging role for integrins and dendritic cells.
Regulation of an immune response requires complex crosstalk between cells of the innate and adaptive immune systems, via both cell-cell contact and secretion of cytokines. An important cytokine with a broad regulatory role in the immune system is transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β). TGF-β is produced by and has effects on many different cells of the immune system, and plays fundamental roles in the regulation of immune responses during homeostasis, infection and disease. Although many cells can produce TGFβ, it is always produced as an inactive complex that must be activated to bind to the TGFβ receptor complex and promote downstream signalling. Thus, regulation of TGFβ activation is a crucial step in controlling TGFβ function. This review will discuss how TGFβ controls diverse immune responses and how TGFβ function is regulated, with a focus on recent work highlighting a critical role for the integrin αvβ8 expressed by dendritic cells in activating TGFβ.
Manchester Immunology Group, Faculty of Life Sciences, AV Hill Building, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PT, UK.
John J
JJ
Worthington
Thomas M
TM
Fenton
Beata I
BI
Czajkowska
Joanna E
JE
Klementowicz
Mark A
MA
Travis
D000818:Animals; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007107:Immune System / Q000276:immunology*; D016023:Integrins / Q000276:immunology*; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000276:immunology*
D016023:Integrins; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; C403414:integrin alphavbeta8