title: WASP, Tregs, and food allergies - rare disease provides insight into a common problem.
abstract: Dysregulation of the type 2 immune system presents with various manifestations, including allergic inflammation, and has emerged as an alarming public health issue. The pathological mechanisms that underlie T helper type 2 cell-driven (Th2-driven) allergic diseases remain unclear. In particular, it is not completely understood how type 2 immunity is restricted in inflammatory responses. In this issue of the JCI, Lexmond et al. use Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome as a model disease and establish that the Wiskott-Aldrich gene product (WASP) serves an essential role in T regulatory cells to contain Th2 effector cell differentiation and prevent allergic sensitization to dietary antigens.
authors.forename: Yun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.forename: Johann E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Gudjonsson
mesh_terms: D005512:Food Hypersensitivity; D006801:Humans; D035583:Rare Diseases; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000276:immunology; D014923:Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome / Q000235:genetics; D051316:Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome Protein / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D051316:Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome Protein