Glucuronoxylomannan promotes the generation of antigen-specific T regulatory cell that suppresses the antigen-specific Th2 response upon activation.

T regulatory cells (Treg) have the capability to suppress the skewed immune response, but the generation of antigen (Ag)-specific Treg for therapeutic purpose is a challenge; the mechanism of Ag-specific Treg activation remains obscure. Here, we report that glucuronoxylomannan (GXM) is capable of promoting the development of human tolerogenic dendritic cells (DC). GXM-pulsed DCs increased the expression of forkhead box P3 (Foxp3) in naive human CD4+CD25- T cells via activating Fc gamma receptor IIb and activator protein-1 and promoting the expression of transforming growth factor beta in dendritic cells. Furthermore, the conjugated complex of house dust mite Ag, Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (Der p) 1, and GXM-pulsed DCs to drive the naive human CD4+CD25- T cells to develop into the Der p 1-specific Tregs, which efficiently suppressed the Ag-specific Th2 responses. We conclude that GXM-conjugated specific Ag have the capacity to up-regulate the tolerogenic property of DCs and promote the generation of Ag-specific Tregs; the latter can be activated upon the re-exposure to specific Ag and suppress the skewed Ag-specific T helper (Th)2 responses.