Towards Targeting the Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor in Cystic Fibrosis

Barriers and recent advances in non-viral vectors targeting the lungs for cystic fibrosis gene therapy

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is an autosomal recessive disorder caused by mutations in CFTR genes that affect chloride ion channel. The CF is a good nominee for gene therapy as the asymptomatic carriers are phenotypically normal, and the desired cells are accessible for vector delivery. Gene therapy shows promising effects involving the correction of gene or replacement of the mutant gene with the func...

Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor Activation

The aryl hydrocarbon receptor in tumor immunity

The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) binds environmental toxins and mediates immune regulation. The tryptophan metabolite kynurenine has now been identified as an endogenous ligand of the human AHR constitutively produced by gliomas and other types of cancer via tryptophan-2,3-dioxygenase (TDO), thereby suppressing antitumor immune responses via the AHR. Thus, this pathway represents an importan...

The Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor and Tumor Immunity

The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) is an important cytosolic, ligand-dependent transcription factor. Emerging evidence suggests the promoting role of the AhR in the initiation, promotion, progression, invasion, and metastasis of cancer cells. Studies on various tumor types and tumor cell lines have shown high AhR expression, suggesting that AhR is activated constitutively in tumors and facilit...

Antioxidant Functions of the Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor

The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) is a transcription factor belonging to the basic helix-loop-helix/PER-ARNT-SIM family. It is activated by a variety of ligands, such as environmental contaminants like polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons or dioxins, but also by naturally occurring compounds and endogenous ligands. Binding of the ligand leads to dimerization of the AhR with aryl hydrocarbon recep...