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Cryptopatches Are Essential for the Development of Human GALT
Cell Reports
  • Tomonori Nochi, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
  • Paul W. Denton, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
  • Angela Wahl, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
  • J. Victor Garcia, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Author ORCID Identifier

Paul W. Denton

Document Type
Article
Publication Date
6-27-2013
Disciplines
Abstract

Abnormal gut-associated lymphoid tissue (GALT) in humans is associated with infectious and autoimmune diseases, which cause dysfunction of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract immune system. To aid in investigating GALT pathologies in vivo, we bioengineered a human-mouse chimeric model characterized by the development of human GALT structures originating in mouse cryptopatches. This observation expands our mechanistic understanding of the role of cryptopatches in human GALT genesis and emphasizes the evolutionary conservation of this developmental process. Immunoglobulin class switching to IgA occurs in these GALT structures, leading to numerous human IgAproducing plasma cells throughout the intestinal lamina propria. CD4+ T cell depletion within GALT structures results from HIV infection, as it does in humans. This human-mouse chimeric model represents the most comprehensive experimental platform currently available for the study and for the preclinical testing of therapeutics designed to repair disease-damaged GALT.

Creative Commons License
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0
Citation Information
Tomonori Nochi, Paul W. Denton, Angela Wahl and J. Victor Garcia. "Cryptopatches Are Essential for the Development of Human GALT" Cell Reports Vol. 3 (2013)
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/paul-denton/13/