2026-02-11 スタンフォード大学
Stanford research shows that proteins in wheat and other staples help train immune cells to recognize safe foods and prevent allergic reactions. | Getty Images
＜関連情報＞
- https://news.stanford.edu/stories/2026/03/food-tolerance-regulatory-t-cells-research-allergies
- https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciimmunol.aeb4684
経口免疫寛容における食物抗原の同定と特性評価 Identification and characterization of dietary antigens in oral tolerance
Jamie E. Blum, Ryan Kong, E.A. Schulman, Francis M. Chen, […] , and Elizabeth S. Sattely
Science Immunology Published:6 Mar 2026
Editor’s summary
Immunological tolerance to dietary antigens is essential for preventing food allergies and digestive disorders such as celiac disease. However, the specific food-derived antigens that contribute to immune tolerance remain poorly described. Blum et al. mapped the dietary epitopes recognized by food-responsive T cell receptors (TCRs) derived from murine intestinal regulatory T (Treg) cells. Seed storage proteins from corn, wheat, and soy, including the maize protein αZein, were targets of food-responsive Treg cell TCRs. αZein-specific Treg cells suppressed T cell responses to αZein ex vivo and after adoptive transfer into naive mice. These findings provide insight into the dietary components recognized by naturally occurring Treg cells that mediate oral tolerance. —Claire Olingy
Abstract
Food antigens elicit immune tolerance through the action of intestinal regulatory T (Treg) cells. Unlike food allergens, the proteins that mediate tolerance are mostly undescribed. Here, we found that epitopes derived from seed storage proteins are targets of murine intestinal Treg cells, with the most frequent response targeting the C terminus of the maize protein alpha-zein. A major histocompatibility complex (MHC) tetramer loaded with this antigen revealed that zein-specific T cells are predominantly intestinal Treg cells, develop concurrently with weaning, and constitute up to 2% of the peripheral Treg cell pool. Zein-responsive Treg cells repressed naïve T cell proliferation ex vivo, and prior dietary exposure resulted in a constrained response upon diverse inflammatory challenges in vivo, supporting a specific role for gut-resident Treg cells in suppressing systemic immune responses. Our work reveals the development, immune-suppressive characteristics, and function of naturally occurring Treg cells that recognize dietary seed storage proteins, a previously undescribed class of antigens in oral tolerance.
