RT2/TCR1 mice represent an animal model of peripheral tolerance induction towards an endogenously expressed tumor Ag (SV40 T antigen). Applying this model, the role of the immunosuppressive cytokine IL-10 during tolerance induction was analyzed. IL-10 was not required for the developmental induction of peripheral tolerance. Nevertheless, IL-10 was crucial for maintenance of peripheral tolerance since antigenic stimulation in vivo broke the anergic state of transgenic T cells in RT2/TCR/IL-10KO mice. Additionally, tolerance induction in the RT2/TCR1 model correlates with the appearance of CD25+ transgenic T cells. It could be demonstrated that these cells are regulatory T cells able to suppress antigen-specific proliferation in vitro. Furthermore, peripheral tolerance induction in RT2/TCR1 mice depends on the presence of peripheral lymph nodes, since RT2/TCR1 mice crossed into a gene deficient background devoid of peripheral lymph nodes (LTbRKO) were not able to establish peripheral tolerance.
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RT2/TCR1 mice represent an animal model of peripheral tolerance induction towards an endogenously expressed tumor Ag (SV40 T antigen). Applying this model, the role of the immunosuppressive cytokine IL-10 during tolerance induction was analyzed. IL-10 was not required for the developmental induction of peripheral tolerance. Nevertheless, IL-10 was crucial for maintenance of peripheral tolerance since antigenic stimulation in vivo broke the anergic state of transgenic T cells in RT2/TCR/IL-10KO m...
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