title: In vitro expansion of alloantigen-specific regulatory T cells and their use in prevention of allograft rejection.
abstract: Regulatory T lymphocytes expressing CD4, high levels of CD25, and the transcription factor Foxp3 play a crucial role in the control of immune responses to self and nonself antigens. In contrast to immunosuppressive drugs currently used to treat immunopathology, these cells act in a very specific manner. Consequently, their clinical potential in the treatment of autoimmune disorders, inflammatory diseases, graft-versus-host disease, and allograft rejection is currently extensively studied in experimental animal models as well as in clinical trials. We have previously shown that appropriately in vitro stimulated CD4(+)CD25(high) regulatory T cells can be used to prevent rejection of bone marrow, skin, and heart allografts in the Mouse. We here describe the protocols used in our laboratory to isolate mouse regulatory T cells, to stimulate them in vitro in order to enrich in cells specific for donor-antigens, and to transplant bone marrow under cover of regulatory T cells. Thus, generated hematopoietic chimeras may subsequently be transplanted with solid tissues and organs from the same donor.
authors.affiliation: Tolerance and Autoimmunity Section, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, U563, Toulouse, France.
authors.forename: Clémence
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Nouzé
authors.forename: Lise
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pasquet
authors.forename: Joost P M
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: van Meerwijk
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003584:Cytological Techniques; D006084:Graft Rejection; D007519:Isoantigens / Q000276:immunology*; D051379:Mice; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000166:cytology* / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D007519:Isoantigens