CD4+CD25+ regulatory T lymphocytes in bone marrow transplantation.
Induction of immunological tolerance to alloantigens would be the treatment of choice to prevent graft-versus-host disease (GvHD) and allograft rejection in transplantation medicine. Organisms use a variety of mechanisms to avoid potentially deadly immunity to self-antigens. The most potent self-tolerance mechanism is probably dominant tolerance assured by regulatory and suppressor T lymphocytes. It appears therefore attractive to use the same mechanism to induce transplantation-tolerance. We here review and discuss recent advances in the use of one of the best-characterized regulatory T lymphocyte populations, CD4(+)CD25(+) T cells, to prevent graft-versus-host disease and bone marrow allograft rejection.
Joffre
Olivier
O
Tolerance and Autoimmunity Section, INSERM U563, Université Paul Sabatier, IFR 30, Purpan Hospital, BP 3028, 31024 Toulouse Cedex 3, France.
van Meerwijk
Joost P M
JP
D000818:Animals; D016026:Bone Marrow Transplantation / Q000276:immunology*; D006086:Graft vs Host Disease / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000276:immunology*; D023001:Transplantation Tolerance / Q000276:immunology*