An essential role of galectin-1 in driving Th2-polarized responses during helminth infection

DERGAN DYLON LS; ILARREGUI JM; RUTITZKY LI; STADECKER M; RABINOVICH GA

MILAN

Congreso; ICI INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS OF IMMUNOLOGY; 2013

ICI

Schistosomiasis, a disease caused by Schistosoma mansoni, affects approximately 238 million people in tropical and sub-tropical areas. Despite considerable efforts in elucidating the mechanisms underlying immune protection and evasion during S. mansoni infection, the endogenous mediators responsible of driving Th2-polarized reactions remain uncertain. Here we identified a crucial role for galectin-1 (Gal-1) an endogenous glycan-binding protein, in driving Th2 responses during S. mansoni infection. Schistosome Egg Antigen (SEA) induced a dose-dependent up-regulation of Gal-1 in bone marrow-derived dendritic cells (DCs), as shown by western blot, real time qPCR and ELISA (p