Ultraviolet Radiation-Induced Immunosuppression: Induction of Regulatory T Cells.

Solar/ultraviolet (UV) radiation exerts a variety of biological effects, including suppression of the immune system. UV-induced immunosuppression is induced by suberythemogenic/physiological UV doses, and it affects primarily T-cell driven immune reactions. Another characteristic feature of UV-induced immunosuppression is its antigen-specificity. This is due to the induction of T cells with suppressive features, called regulatory T cells. Since UV-induced regulatory T cells may harbor therapeutic potential phenotypic and functional characterization of these cells is ongoing. Most of these studies have been performed in the murine model of contact hypersensitivity. In this protocol we describe a method for the UV-induced suppression of the induction of contact hypersensitivity and the adoptive transfer of immune response.