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Acute myeloid leukemia cells constitutively express the immunoregulatory enzyme indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase

Leukemia volume 21, pages 353–355 (2007)Cite this article

Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) is a key enzyme in the tryptophan metabolism, which catalyzes the initial rate-limiting step of tryptophan degradation along the kynurenine pathway.1 Tryptophan starvation by IDO consumption inhibits T-cell activation,1, 2 whereas products of tryptophan catabolism, such as kynurenine derivatives and O2 free radicals, regulate T-cell proliferation and survival.1, 3 Thus, IDO has a profound immunosuppressive activity. Accordingly, cell populations expressing IDO, including regulatory dendritic cells (DCs) and bone marrow (BM)-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), have the capacity to suppress T-cell responses to auto- and allo-antigens.4, 5 In these cells, the expression of IDO gene and protein is critically regulated by interferon (IFN)-γ.4, 5

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Hematology and Medical Oncology ‘L & A Seràgnoli’, University of Bologna and Stem Cell Research Center, S Orsola-Malpighi Hospital, Bologna, Italy

    A Curti, M Aluigi, S Pandolfi, E Ferri, A Isidori, V Salvestrini, A D'Addio, M Baccarani & R M Lemoli

  2. Department of Genetics, Biology and Biochemistry, Research Center on Experimental Medicine (CeRMS), University of Turin, Turin, Italy

    I Durelli & A L Horenstein

  3. Hematology Unit, University of Turin and Hematological Oncology Laboratory, CeRMS, Turin, Italy

    F Fiore & M Massaia

  4. Institute of Hematology and Medical Oncology ‘L & A Seràgnoli’, Hematology and Hematopathology Units, S. Orsola-Malpighi Hospital, University of Bologna, Italy

    M Piccioli & S A Pileri

  5. Center for Applied Biomedical Research, S Orsola-Malpighi Hospital, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy

    E Zavatto

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  1. A Curti
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Correspondence to A Curti.

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Supplementary Information accompanies the paper on the Leukemia website (http://www.nature.com/leu)

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Curti, A., Aluigi, M., Pandolfi, S. et al. Acute myeloid leukemia cells constitutively express the immunoregulatory enzyme indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase. Leukemia 21, 353–355 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.leu.2404485

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