title: The plasticity and stability of regulatory T cells.
abstract: Regulatory T (TReg) cells are crucial for the prevention of fatal autoimmunity in mice and humans. Forkhead box P3 (FOXP3)(+) TReg cells are produced in the thymus and are also generated from conventional CD4(+) T cells in peripheral sites. It has been suggested that FOXP3(+) TReg cells might become unstable under certain inflammatory conditions and might adopt a phenotype that is more characteristic of effector CD4(+) T cells. These suggestions have caused considerable debate in the field and have important implications for the therapeutic use of TReg cells. In this article, Nature Reviews Immunology asks several experts for their views on the plasticity and stability of TReg cells.
authors.affiliation: World Premier International Immunology Frontier Research Center, Osaka University, Suita 565-0871, Japan. shimon@ifrec.osaka-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Shimon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sakaguchi
authors.forename: Dario A A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Vignali
authors.forename: Alexander Y
authors.initials: AY
authors.lastname: Rudensky
authors.forename: Rachel E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Niec
authors.forename: Herman
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Waldmann
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D060908:CTLA-4 Antigen / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000276:immunology; D051858:Forkhead Transcription Factors / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D053645:Interleukin-2 Receptor alpha Subunit / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D017493:Leukocyte Common Antigens / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D060908:CTLA-4 Antigen; C556706:CTLA4 protein, human; C418974:FOXP3 protein, human; D051858:Forkhead Transcription Factors; D053645:Interleukin-2 Receptor alpha Subunit; D017493:Leukocyte Common Antigens