title: Potential role of interleukin-10-secreting regulatory T cells in allergy and asthma.
abstract: Allergic diseases are caused by aberrant T-helper-2 immune responses in susceptible individuals. Both naturally occurring CD4(+)CD25(+) regulatory T cells and inducible populations of antigen-specific interleukin-10-secreting regulatory T cells inhibit these inappropriate immune responses in experimental models. This article discusses the evidence that regulatory T-cell function might be impaired in allergic and asthmatic disease and that certain therapeutic regimens might function, at least in part, to promote regulatory T-cell generation. Current research strategies seek to exploit these observations to improve the generation of allergen-specific regulatory T-cell populations with the potential to provide the safe and long-term alleviation of disease symptoms.
authors.affiliation: Department of Asthma, Allergy & Respiratory Science, Guy's Hospital, King's College London, London SE1 9RT, UK. catherine.hawrylowicz@kcl.ac.uk
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Hawrylowicz
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: O'Garra
mesh_terms: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D001249:Asthma / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D006967:Hypersensitivity / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D007167:Immunotherapy; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D016753:Interleukin-10