Immunoregulation as a protective factor of the nervous system in
degenerative diseases
Abstract
Regulatory cells are critical for maintaining immune homeostasis in the
central nervous system. Regulatory cell populations have been reported
to control neuroinflammation in neurodegenerative conditions like
Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, myasthenia gravis,
encephalomyelitis, and Alzheimer’s disease by protecting neurons through
different mechanisms, including the production of cytokines such as
IL-10 and TGF-β, promoting the expression of inhibitory receptors (PD1,
TIM3, LAG3), and inducing tolerance through cell-cell interactions by
CTLA-4. Various phenotypes of CD4+ and CD8+ regulatory T cells, Bregs,
MDCS, and tolDCs have been described and, despite the great interest in
their function, few studies have focused on elucidating their role in
neurodegenerative diseases. Therefore, this review aims to describe the
mechanisms of regulation and suppression of effector cells in
neurodegenerative diseases. The study of these mechanisms has led to the
development of therapeutic approaches targeting molecules with
suppressive or regulatory activity in severe neurological disorders.