CD4+ regulatory cells as a potential immunotherapy.
CD4(+) regulatory T (T(R)) cells represent a unique lineage of thymically generated lymphocytes capable of powerfully suppressing immune responses. A large body of experimental data has now confirmed the key role played by these cells in the maintenance of self-tolerance. Increasingly, the importance of these cells is also being recognized in a host of other clinically relevant areas such as transplantation, tumour immunity, allergy and microbial immunity. Additionally, it is also possible to generate T(R) cells by using a variety of ex vivo experimental approaches. We will focus here on harnessing the suppressive abilities of both these families of regulatory cells and how this should give us access to a potent cell-based immunotherapy appropriate for clinical application.
Fehérvari
Zoltán
Z
Department of Experimental Pathology, Institute for Frontier Medical Sciences, Kyoto University, Japan. zed72@frontier@-kyoto-u.ac.jp
Sakaguchi
Shimon
S
D051858:Forkhead Transcription Factors / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007167:Immunotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D007239:Infections / Q000276:immunology*; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology*; D017634:Self Tolerance / Q000276:immunology*; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology*; D014181:Transplantation Immunology / Q000276:immunology*
C418974:FOXP3 protein, human; D051858:Forkhead Transcription Factors