title: Regulatory T cells in health and disease.
abstract: The healthy host does not normally develop tissue destructive autoimmunity in part because of the presence of natural regulatory T cells. These cells are best identified by their expression of a unique transcription factor forkhead box transcription factor (Foxp3) that controls their regulatory function. Several other types of regulatory T cells also occur most of which are induced in response to antigen stimulation. Some of these express the Foxp3 transcription factor but many do not. The role of natural T-regulatory cells as well as induceable regulatory cells in autoimmunity, cancer, allergy and infectious disease is described. The current status of therapeutic approaches that modulate regulatory T-cell responses on the outcome of experimental animal and human disease is also discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathobiology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA. btr@utk.edu
authors.forename: B T
authors.initials: BT
authors.lastname: Rouse
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000276:immunology* / Q000628:therapy; D015551:Autoimmunity; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D051858:Forkhead Transcription Factors / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D006969:Hypersensitivity, Immediate / Q000276:immunology; D007108:Immune Tolerance / Q000276:immunology; D007239:Infections / Q000276:immunology; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: C418974:FOXP3 protein, human; D051858:Forkhead Transcription Factors