Delta(9)-Tetrahydrocannabinol Suppresses Secretion of IFN alpha by Plasmacytoid Dendritic Cells From Healthy and HIV-Infected Individuals

作者：Henriquez Joseph E; Rizzo Michael D; Schulz Matthias A; Crawford Robert B; Gulick Peter; Kaminski Norbert E^*

来源：JAIDS: Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes , 2017, 75(5): 588-596.

DOI：10.1097/qai.0000000000001449

• plasmacytoid dendritic cells
• interferon-alpha
• cannabinoid receptors
• Delta(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol
• medical marijuana
• interferon regulatory factor 7

Plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) play a crucial role in host antiviral immune response through secretion of type I interferon. Interferon alpha (IFN alpha), a type I IFN, is critical for mounting the initial response to viral pathogens. A consequence of Human Immunodeficiency Virus-1 (HIV) infection is a decrease in both pDC number and function, but prolonged pDC activity has been linked with progression from HIV infection to the development of AIDS. Patients with HIV in the United States routinely use cannabinoid-based therapies to combat the side effects of HIV infection and antiretroviral therapy. However, cannabinoids, including Delta(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), are well-characterized immunosuppressants. Here, we report that THC suppressed secretion of IFN alpha by pDC from both healthy and HIV+ donors through a mechanism involving impaired phosphorylation of interferon regulatory factor 7. These results suggest that THC can suppress pDC function during the early host antiviral response by dampening pDC activation.

• 出版日期2017-8-15