Conversion of Peripheral CD4+CD25 Naive T Cells to CD4+CD25+ Regulatory T Cells by TGF-β Induction of Transcription Factor Foxp3

WJ Chen, W Jin, N Hardegen, K Lei, L Li… - The Journal of …, 2003 - rupress.org
WJ Chen, W Jin, N Hardegen, K Lei, L Li, N Marinos, G McGrady, SM Wahl
The Journal of experimental medicine, 2003rupress.org
CD4+ CD25+ regulatory T cells (Treg) are instrumental in the maintenance of immunological
tolerance. One critical question is whether Treg can only be generated in the thymus or can
differentiate from peripheral CD4+ CD25− naive T cells. In this paper, we present novel
evidence that conversion of naive peripheral CD4+ CD25− T cells into anergic/suppressor
cells that are CD25+, CD45RB−/low and intracellular CTLA-4+ can be achieved through
costimulation with T cell receptors (TCRs) and transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) …
CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cells (Treg) are instrumental in the maintenance of immunological tolerance. One critical question is whether Treg can only be generated in the thymus or can differentiate from peripheral CD4+CD25 naive T cells. In this paper, we present novel evidence that conversion of naive peripheral CD4+CD25 T cells into anergic/suppressor cells that are CD25+, CD45RB−/low and intracellular CTLA-4+ can be achieved through costimulation with T cell receptors (TCRs) and transforming growth factor β (TGF-β). Although transcription factor Foxp3 has been shown recently to be associated with the development of Treg, the physiological inducers for Foxp3 gene expression remain a mystery. TGF-β induced Foxp3 gene expression in TCR-challenged CD4+CD25 naive T cells, which mediated their transition toward a regulatory T cell phenotype with potent immunosuppressive potential. These converted anergic/suppressor cells are not only unresponsive to TCR stimulation and produce neither T helper cell 1 nor T helper cell 2 cytokines but they also express TGF-β and inhibit normal T cell proliferation in vitro. More importantly, in an ovalbumin peptide TCR transgenic adoptive transfer model, TGF-β–converted transgenic CD4+CD25+ suppressor cells proliferated in response to immunization and inhibited antigen-specific naive CD4+ T cell expansion in vivo. Finally, in a murine asthma model, coadministration of these TGF-β–induced suppressor T cells prevented house dust mite–induced allergic pathogenesis in lungs.
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