Neobavaisoflavone-mediated TH9 cell differentiation ameliorates bowel inflammation

Neobavaisoflavone (Neo), is the active constituent of the herb Psoralea corylifolial, used in the traditional Chinese medicine, and has anti-inflammatory activity, but whether Neo could regulate colitis remains unclear. T helper 9 (TH9) cells, a subset of CD4+ T helper cells characterized by secretion of IL-9, have been reported to be involved in the pathogenesis of many autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, but whether Neo could control TH9 cell differentiation also remains unclear. Here, we found that Neo could decrease IL-9 production of CD4+ T cells by targeting PU.1 in vitro. Importantly, Neo had therapeutic effects on DSS-induced colitis. Furthermore, we identified TH9 cells as the direct target of Neo for attenuating bowel inflammation. Therefore, Neo could serve as a lead for developing new therapeutics against inflammatory bowel disease.