Abstract: The invention relates to a method for evaluating the sensitizing potential of a test compound, and to a kit for implementing said method.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of treating or preventing weight loss of patients with inflammatory bowel diseases comprising administering to said patients an effective amount of Saccharomyces boulardii.

Abstract: A method for the in vitro production of a cell population P? from a cell population P, the production requiring the presence of at least one factor which is expressed by feeder cells, wherein a) feeder cells proliferate at a temperature T1, b) proliferated feeder cells are contacted with the cell population P, c) the cell mixture obtained at step (b) is cultivated at a temperature T2 which is chosen such that the cell population P proliferates and the feeder cells do not proliferate, the at least one factor being expressed by the feeder cells, and d) the cell population P? so produced is recovered. Advantageously, the production consists in an expansion, the feeder cells are insect feeder cells and the cell population P to be expanded is a T lymphocyte population, preferably a Trl lymphocyte population.

Abstract: An in vitro method for the obtention of a food- or auto-antigen specific Tr1 cell population from a leukocyte or a PBMC population, includes stimulating the PBMC or leukocyte population with the food- or auto-antigen, and recovering the food- or auto-antigen specific Tr1 cell population from the stimulated cell population. Preferably, the PBMC or leukocyte population is re-stimulated at least once with the same antigen after step (1), in the presence of IL-2 and at least one interleukin selected from the group consisting of IL-4 and IL-13. The in vitro method may further include a third step of expanding the recovered antigen-specific Tr1 cell population, advantageously by contacting them with feeder cells capable of expressing factors necessary for the expansion. Preferably, the feeder cells are recombinant insect feeder cells.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for preparing antigen-specific Tr1 regulatory lymphocytes. The inventive method involves the use of artificial antigen-presenting cells, expressing a molecule from the HLA class II system and a human LFA-3 molecule and expressing none of the B7-1, B7-2, B7-H1, CD40, CD23 or ICAM-1 costimulation molecules.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of treating or preventing atherosclerosis comprising administering to a mammal in need of such a treatment a) an antigen which has been used to activate in vitro a Tri cell population originating from said mammal, and b) the TO cell population activated by said antigen, said TO cell population being obtained from a CD4+ T lymphocyte population of said mammal.

Abstract: The present invention relates to the use of a method of treating or preventing a disease selected from the group of skin and diseases of the mucosa, comprising administering topically to a mammal in need of such a treatment a topical medicinal product comprising a lipopeptide or a mixture thereof, wherein said lipopeptide comprises a peptide antigen specific for a T cell population, said peptide antigen being coupled covalently with a lipid radical and being capable of activating the T cell population. Such a use is more specifically intended for a transcutaneous application of the topical medicinal product, which is advantageously intended to prevent or treat a skin disease. The invention also relates to pharmaceutical or cosmetic formulations comprising the lipopeptide according to the invention.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of treating or preventing weight loss of patients with inflammatory bowel diseases comprising administering to said patients an effective amount of Saccharomyces boulardii.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for preparing antigen-specific Tr1 regulatory lymphocytes. The inventive method involves the use of artificial antigen-presenting cells, expressing a molecule from the HLA class II system and a human LFA-3 molecule and expressing none of the B7-1, B7-2, B7-H1, CD40, CD23 or ICAM-1 costimulation molecules.