Measles Virus-Derived Peptide/Food Antigen Adducts Facilitate The Establishment Of Antigen Specific Oral Tolerance

Allergy is a skewed T helper (Th)2 polarization response in the body; its treatment is not satisfactory currently. Oral tolerance dysfunction plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of allergy. The present study aims to restore the breached intestinal tolerance with an artificial adduct of a measles virus C protein-derived small peptide (MVCP) and a model antigen, ovalbumin (MOA), and to observe the effect of MOA on inhibition of intestinal allergy in a mouse model. The MOA was formed by the MVCP and ovalbumin. The effect of MOA on regulation of the properties of dendritic cells (DC) and CD4(+) T cells was observed with a cell culture model and a mouse model of the gut Th2 pattern inflammation. After treatment with MOA, mouse intestinal DCs showed high levels of aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) activity and expressed transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta; the frequency of Treg in the intestine was also significantly increased. The treatment with MOA efficiently suppressed the antigen-specific Th2 pattern inflammation in the intestine. Administration with the MOA can induce the development of antigen-specific oral tolerance and inhibit the antigen-specific allergic reaction in the intestine. The adduct of MOA has the therapeutic potential for the allergen related immune inflammation.