Helminth-derived compounds can influence the immune system, presenting opportunities for the development of innovative anti-inflammatory therapies. In previous studies, we demonstrated that tuftsin–phosphorylcholine (TPC), a molecule derived from helminths, effectively mitigates inflammation in animal models of autoimmune disorders, including arthritis, colitis, systemic lupus erythematosus, and experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis. TPC was found to suppress inflammatory activity in peripheral blood lymphocytes and in giant-cell arteritis tissue samples. In the current investigation, we evaluated the therapeutic effects of TPC in a mouse model of chronic colitis. C57BL/6 mice were administered TPC orally after the third cycle of 2% dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-induced colitis. Treatment with TPC led to notable improvements in colitis symptoms, reflected by a decrease in the disease activity index, an increase in T regulatory cells within mesenteric lymph nodes (analyzed via FACS), a significant reduction in pro-inflammatory cytokine levels (IL-1β, IL-17, IL-6, TNFα), and enhanced expression of the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 (measured by RT-PCR). These results suggest that oral TPC exerts immunomodulatory effects capable of ameliorating chronic colitis, supporting further exploration of this strategy as a potential therapy for inflammatory bowel disease in humans.
