Community Academic Profiles

Richard Schaefer

Publication Details

  • Levo- but not dextro-1-methyl tryptophan abrogates the IDO activity of human dendritic cells.

    Lob S, Konigsrainer A, Schafer R, Rammensee HG, Opelz G, Terness P. Blood. 2008; 111 (4): 2152-4

    Clinical trials have been started with the aim of inducing tumor immunity by blocking the immunosuppressive action of indoleamine-2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) with the IDO2-inhibitor dextro-1-methyl-tryptophan (D-1MT). Here we show that human dendritic cells (DCs) express both IDO-1 and IDO-2, but that only IDO1 mediates tryptophan catabolism; furthermore, its activity is blocked by levo-1MT, whereas D-1MT is inefficient. Consequently, in humans any possible antitumor effects of D-1MT cannot be attributed to abrogation of IDO activity in DCs as described in this study.

    PubMedID: 18045970

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