Can studies of tolerance ever lead to therapy?
Studies in murine models have suggested that regulatory T (Treg) cells can be generated by any antigen and such antigen specific Treg cells not only prevent but also reverse unwanted immunity. Another key finding of these experimental studies is that Treg cells could possibly be used therapeutically to ameliorate disease because of their ability to interfere with the execution of effector programmes of fully differentiated T effector cells. However, more work is needed before these findings can be safely translated into better targeted therapy and prevention of unwanted immune responses in clinical settings.
von Boehmer
H
H
Harvard Medical School, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, 44 Binney Street, Boston, MA 02115 USA. harald_von_Boehmer@dfci.harvard.edu.
D000818:Animals; D000941:Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000628:therapy*; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D002450:Cell Communication / Q000276:immunology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D007108:Immune Tolerance; D051379:Mice; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000276:immunology*
D000941:Antigens