Regulatory T cells in transplantation tolerance

KJ Wood, S Sakaguchi - Nature Reviews Immunology, 2003 - nature.com
KJ Wood, S Sakaguchi
Nature Reviews Immunology, 2003nature.com
The identification and characterization of regulatory T (TReg) cells that can control immune
responsiveness to alloantigens have opened up exciting opportunities for new therapies in
transplantation. After exposure to alloantigens in vivo, alloantigen-specific
immunoregulatory activity is enriched in a population of CD4+ T cells that express high
levels of CD25. In vivo, common mechanisms seem to underpin the activity of CD4+ CD25+
TReg cells in both naive and manipulated hosts. However, the origin, allorecognition …
Abstract
The identification and characterization of regulatory T (TReg) cells that can control immune responsiveness to alloantigens have opened up exciting opportunities for new therapies in transplantation. After exposure to alloantigens in vivo, alloantigen-specific immunoregulatory activity is enriched in a population of CD4+ T cells that express high levels of CD25. In vivo, common mechanisms seem to underpin the activity of CD4+CD25+ TReg cells in both naive and manipulated hosts. However, the origin, allorecognition properties and molecular basis for the suppressive activity of CD4+CD25+ TReg cells, as well as their relationship to other populations of regulatory cells that exist after transplantation, remain a matter of debate.
nature.com