title: Thymic stromal lymphopoietin: a promising therapeutic target for allergic diseases.
abstract: Thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP), an interleukin 7-like cytokine, can trigger dendritic cell (DC)-mediated T-helper type 2 (Th2) inflammatory responses. Recent evidence demonstrates that cytokines TSLP and OX40 (CD134)/OX40 ligand seem to be important players in the maintenance of Th2 memory pool in the pathogenesis of asthma. Accumulating data reveal that the pathogenic T cells involved in asthma are likely to be inflammatory Th2 cells. TSLP is involved in the development of asthma through crosstalk with nuclear factor NF-ĸB. Progression of skin fibrosis in atopic dermatitis occurs via TSLP/TSLP receptor. TSLP-mediated dermal inflammation aggravates experimental allergic asthma. Also, TSLP polymorphisms are associated with susceptibility to asthma, atopic dermatitis, and eczema herpeticum. These findings suggest a master switch of TSLP in the initiation of allergic and adaptive inflammation through innate pathways at the epithelial cell-DC interface. The TSLP pathway is therefore a promising target for immunotherapy of allergic diseases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.
authors.forename: W L
authors.initials: WL
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: H Y
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: P S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: S H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: L F
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Zhou
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001249:Asthma / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000628:therapy; D016207:Cytokines / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D006967:Hypersensitivity / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000628:therapy; D007249:Inflammation / Q000276:immunology; D018836:Inflammation Mediators / Q000276:immunology; D053278:OX40 Ligand / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000276:immunology*; D000094632:Thymic Stromal Lymphopoietin
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D018836:Inflammation Mediators; D053278:OX40 Ligand; C089251:TNFSF4 protein, human; D000094632:Thymic Stromal Lymphopoietin