Compositions and methods for modulating an immune response
The invention generally features compositions and methods for modulating an immune response. In particular embodiments, such compositions and methods modulate regulatory T cell suppressive activity.
1. A method for identifying candidate compound that increases effector T cell-mediated immune response, the method comprising:
(a) obtaining a sample of a T lymphocytes that express Helios and comprise a FoxP3 promoter;
(b) contacting the T lymphocytes of (a) with a candidate compound or a control agent for a sufficient period of time;
(c) detecting binding of Helios to the FoxP3 promoter in the T lymphocytes of (b);
(d) determining that the candidate compound increases effector T cell-mediated immune response when the compound decreases binding of Helios to the FoxP3 promoter in the T lymphocytes contacted with the candidate compound when compared to the binding of Helios to the FoxP3 promoter in the T lymphocytes contacted with the control agent.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein at (c) the Helios binding to the FoxP3 promoter is detected using a Chromatin ImmunoPrecipitation (ChIP) assay.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the candidate compound is a polypeptide, a polynucleotide or small compound.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the T lymphocytes are taken from a blood sample from a human.
5. The method of claim 4 , wherein at (c) the Helios binding to the FoxP3 promoter is detected using a Chromatin ImmunoPrecipitation (ChIP) assay.
6. The method of claim 4 , wherein the candidate compound is a polypeptide, a polynucleotide or small compound.