The origin of FOXP3-expressing CD4⁺ regulatory T cells: thymus or periphery
J. Clin. Invest. Shimon Sakaguchi, et al. 112:1310 doi:10.1172/JCI20274 [Go to this article.]

Figure 1
The normal thymus produces FOXP3-expressing CD25⁺CD4⁺ T_R cells. Some of the naive CD25^–CD4⁺ T cells may also differentiate to FOXP3-expressing CD25⁺CD4⁺ T_R cells in the periphery. These T_R cells suppress the activation and expansion of self-reactive T cells that may cause autoimmune disease. Genetic defects of FOXP3 cause IPEX due to developmental or functional defects of T_R cells. Adapted with permission from Nature Immunology (21).