Role of CD4 + T Cells in Allergic Airway Diseases: Learning from Murine Models

• Published in: International journal of molecular sciences 2020-10, Vol.21 (20), p.7480
• Main Authors: Miura, Kento, Inoue, Kimiko, Ogura, Atsuo, Kaminuma, Osamu
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: airway inflammation; Allergic diseases; allergy; Animal models; Animals; Antibodies; Antigens; Asthma; Biomarkers; Bronchial Hyperreactivity - diagnosis; Bronchial Hyperreactivity - etiology; Bronchial Hyperreactivity - metabolism; CD4 antigen; CD4+ T cell; CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes - immunology; CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes - metabolism; Cell Communication; Cell culture; Cytokines; Disease Models, Animal; Disease Susceptibility - immunology; Drug development; Humans; Hypersensitivity; Immune response (cell-mediated); Immunization; Immunoglobulin E - immunology; Immunosuppressive agents; Inflammation; Inflammation - etiology; Inflammation - metabolism; Inflammation - pathology; Lymphocytes; Lymphocytes T; Mast Cells - immunology; Mast Cells - metabolism; Medical research; Mice; Mice, Transgenic; Nuclear transfer; Pathogenesis; Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell - metabolism; Respiratory tract diseases; Review; Signal Transduction; Somatic cell nuclear transfer; T cell receptors; T-Cell Antigen Receptor Specificity; T-cell receptor; T-Lymphocyte Subsets - immunology; T-Lymphocyte Subsets - metabolism; Thymus gland; Transgenic mice
• ISSN: 1422-0067; 1661-6596; 1422-0067
• DOI: 10.3390/ijms21207480

The essential contribution of CD4 T cells in allergic airway diseases has been demonstrated, especially by using various murine models of antigen-induced airway inflammation. In addition to antigen-immunized mouse models employing mast cell-deficient mice and CD4 T cell-depleting procedure, antigen-specific CD4 T cell transfer models have revealed the possible development of allergic inflammation solely dependent on CD4 T cells. Regardless of the classical Th1/Th2 theory, various helper T cell subsets have the potential to induce different types of allergic inflammation. T cell receptor (TCR)-transgenic (Tg) mice have been used for investigating T cell-mediated immune responses. Besides, we have recently generated cloned mice from antigen-specific CD4 T cells through somatic cell nuclear transfer. In contrast to TCR-Tg mice that express artificially introduced TCR, the cloned mice express endogenously regulated antigen-specific TCR. Upon antigen exposure, the mite antigen-reactive T cell-cloned mice displayed strong airway inflammation accompanied by bronchial hyperresponsiveness in a short time period. Antigen-specific CD4 T cell-cloned mice are expected to be useful for investigating the detailed role of CD4 T cells in various allergic diseases and for evaluating novel anti-allergic drugs.