title: Nanoparticle-based autoimmune disease therapy.
abstract: The goal of immunotherapy against autoimmunity is to block pathogenic inflammation without impairing immunity against infections and tumours. Regulatory T-cells (Tregs) play a central role in maintaining immune homeostasis, and autoimmune inflammation is frequently associated with decreased numbers and/or function of these T-cells. Therapies harnessing Tregs to treat autoimmune inflammation remain under-developed with caveats ranging from the lack of antigenic and disease specificity to the potential phenotypic and functional instability of in vitro-expanded Treg cells in vivo. Here, we review nanotechnology-based approaches designed to promote immune tolerance through various mechanisms, ranging from systemic or local suppression of antigen-presenting cells and deletion of antigen-specific T-cells, to the systemic expansion of antigen- and disease-specific Treg cells in vivo.
authors.affiliation: Institut D'Investigacions Biomediques August Pi i Sunyer, Barcelona 08036, Spain. Electronic address: pserra1@clinic.ub.es.
authors.forename: Pau
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Serra
authors.affiliation: Institut D'Investigacions Biomediques August Pi i Sunyer, Barcelona 08036, Spain; Julia McFarlane Diabetes Research Centre (JMDRC) and Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases and Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Cummings School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta T2N 4N1, Canada. Electronic address: psantama@ucalgary.ca.
authors.forename: Pere
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Santamaria
mesh_terms: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000938:Antigen-Presenting Cells / Q000276:immunology*; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy*; D004337:Drug Carriers / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D007108:Immune Tolerance / Q000276:immunology*; D007167:Immunotherapy / Q000379:methods; D007249:Inflammation / Q000276:immunology; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000276:immunology; D008212:Lymphocyte Depletion / Q000379:methods; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D004337:Drug Carriers
keywords: Autoimmunity; Immunotherapy; Nanomaterials; Nanotechnology; Nanovaccines; Regulatory T-cells