The role of the gut lymphoid tissue in induction of oral tolerance
Song, F.; Whitacre, C.C.
Current Opinion in Investigational Drugs 2(10): 1382-1386
2001
ISSN/ISBN: 1472-4472 PMID: 11890352 Document Number: 539552
The gut-associated lymphoid tissue (GALT) maintains a balance between immunological tolerance to dietary proteins and induction of active immune responses to pathogenic microorganisms. The oral administration of soluble protein antigens induces a state of systemic immunological unresponsiveness specific to the fed protein, termed oral tolerance. The two major mechanisms to explain oral tolerance are anergy/deletion of autoreactive lymphocytes and active suppression. This review will discuss the mechanisms of therapeutic oral tolerance in relation to events occurring at the site of antigen entry.