title: Aryl hydrocarbon receptor control of adaptive immunity.
abstract: The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) is a ligand-activated transcription factor that belongs to the family of basic helix-loop-helix transcription factors. Although the AhR was initially recognized as the receptor mediating the pathologic effects of dioxins and other pollutants, the activation of AhR by endogenous and environmental factors has important physiologic effects, including the regulation of the immune response. Thus, the AhR provides a molecular pathway through which environmental factors modulate the immune response in health and disease. In this review, we discuss the role of AhR in the regulation of the immune response, the source and chemical nature of AhR ligands, factors controlling production and degradation of AhR ligands, and the potential to target the AhR for therapeutic immunomodulation.
authors.affiliation: Center for Neurologic Diseases, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA. fquintana@rics.bwh.harvard.edu
authors.forename: Francisco J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Quintana
authors.forename: David H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Sherr
mesh_terms: D056704:Adaptive Immunity; D000818:Animals; D015551:Autoimmunity; D006801:Humans; D018336:Receptors, Aryl Hydrocarbon / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction
chemical_list: D018336:Receptors, Aryl Hydrocarbon
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