title: Harnessing regulatory T cells for therapeutic purposes.
abstract: Lai and colleagues demonstrate that pretreatment with N,N-dimethylsphingosine (DMS), a naturally occurring sphingosine derivative, provides renoprotection in ischemia/reperfusion injury. This DMS-induced renoprotection was abolished by the administration of agents that suppress regulatory T cells (Tregs) or by anti-CTLA-4 or anti-CD45 monoclonal antibodies, suggesting that Tregs played a critical role. The finding that Tregs are recruited to the kidney via DMS points to the exciting potential of new approaches to harnessing Tregs for therapeutic purposes.
authors.affiliation: Division of Renal Diseases and Hypertension, Department of Medicine, University of Colorado Denver, Aurora, Colorado, USA. Electronic address: Larry.chan@ucdenver.edu.
authors.forename: Laurence
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chan
mesh_terms: D058186:Acute Kidney Injury / Q000517:prevention & control*; D000818:Animals; D002634:Chemotaxis, Leukocyte / Q000187:drug effects*; D007155:Immunologic Factors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007511:Ischemia / Q000188:drug therapy*; D007668:Kidney / Q000187:drug effects*; D008297:Male; D015427:Reperfusion Injury / Q000517:prevention & control*; D013110:Sphingosine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D007155:Immunologic Factors; C061800:N,N-dimethylsphingosine; D013110:Sphingosine