title: Regulation of adaptive immunity; the role of interleukin-10.
abstract: Since the discovery of interleukin-10 (IL-10) in the 1980s, a large body of work has led to its recognition as a pleiotropic immunomodulatory cytokine that affects both the innate and adaptive immune systems. IL-10 is produced by a wide range of cell types, but for the purposes of this review we shall focus on IL-10 secreted by CD4(+) T cells. Here we describe the importance of IL-10 as a mediator of suppression used by both FoxP3(+) and FoxP3(-) T regulatory cells. Moreover, we discuss the molecular events leading to the induction of IL-10 secretion in T helper cell subsets, where it acts as a pivotal negative feedback mechanism. Finally we discuss how a greater understanding of this principle has allowed for the design of more efficient, antigen-specific immunotherapy strategies to exploit this natural phenomenon clinically.
authors.affiliation: School of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Bristol , Bristol , UK.
authors.forename: T H Sky
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Ng
authors.forename: Graham J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Britton
authors.forename: Elaine V
authors.initials: EV
authors.lastname: Hill
authors.forename: Johan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Verhagen
authors.forename: Bronwen R
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Burton
authors.forename: David C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Wraith
keywords: T helper cells; allergy; autoimmunity; cytokines; immune regulation; immunotherapy; interleukin-10; regulatory T cells