The aryl hydrocarbon receptor in immune regulation and autoimmune pathogenesis.

Wei Huang, Ke Rui, Xiaomeng Wang, Na Peng, Wenhao Zhou, Xiaofei Shi, Liwei Lu, Dajun Hu, Jie Tian

Journal: Journal of autoimmunity 2023;138():103049

PMID: 37229809

Full Text on Elsevier Science View on PubMed

Abstract

As a ligand-activated transcription factor, the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) is activated by structurally diverse ligands derived from the environment, diet, microorganisms, and metabolic activity. Recent studies have demonstrated that AhR plays a key role in modulating both innate and adaptive immune responses. Moreover, AhR regulates innate immune and lymphoid cell differentiation and function, which is involved in autoimmune pathogenesis. In this review, we discuss recent advances in understanding the mechanism of activation of AhR and its mediated functional regulation in various innate immune and lymphoid cell populations, as well as the immune-regulatory effect of AhR in the development of autoimmune diseases. In addition, we highlight the identification of AhR agonists and antagonists that may serve as potential therapeutic targets for the treatment of autoimmune disorders.

Address: Institute of Medical Immunology, Affiliated Hospital of Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, China; Department of Laboratory Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, China.; Institute of Medical Immunology, Affiliated Hospital of Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, China; Department of Laboratory Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, China. Electronic address: [email protected].; Department of Rheumatology and Nephrology, The Second People's Hospital, China Three Gorges University, Yichang, China.; Department of Laboratory Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, China.; Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, The First Affiliated Hospital and School of Medicine, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, China.; Department of Pathology and Shenzhen Institute of Research and Innovation, The University of Hong Kong, Chongqing International Institute for Immunology, China.; Department of Rheumatology and Nephrology, The Second People's Hospital, China Three Gorges University, Yichang, China. Electronic address: [email protected].; Institute of Medical Immunology, Affiliated Hospital of Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, China; Department of Immunology, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Laboratory Medicine, School of Medicine, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, China. Electronic address: [email protected].

DOI: 10.1016/j.jaut.2023.103049

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MeSH Terms: Humans, Receptors, Aryl Hydrocarbon, Autoimmune Diseases, Gene Expression Regulation, Lymphocytes, Ligands