EGCG-Modified Ovalbumin Induces Tolerogenic Dendritic Cells and Suppresses OVA-Induced Allergic Asthma in Allergen-Specific Immunotherapy

This study investigated the effect of EGCG-modified ovalbumin (OVA) in allergen-specific immunotherapy (AIT) for allergic asthma. EGCG, a polyphenol found in green tea, has been shown to possess anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory properties. Our findings revealed that covalent modification of OVA with EGCG induced tolerogenic DCs, characterized by increased expression of CD103 and IL-10, and decreased expression of CD80 and CD86. These tolerogenic DCs effectively suppressed OVA-induced allergic asthma in a mouse model. The mechanism underlying this suppression involved the induction of regulatory T cells (Tregs) and the inhibition of Th2 responses. In conclusion, our study suggests that EGCG-modified OVA holds promise as a novel therapeutic strategy for AIT in allergic asthma, by effectively inducing tolerogenic DCs and suppressing allergic inflammation.