title: Manipulating regulatory T cells: a promising strategy to treat autoimmunity.
abstract: CD4(+)CD25(+)Foxp3(+)regulatory T cells (Treg cells) are extremely important in maintaining immune tolerance. Manipulation of Treg cells, especially autoantigen-specific Treg cells is a promising approach for treatments of autoimmune disease since Treg cells may provide the advantage of antigen specificity without overall immune suppression. However, the clinical application of Treg cells has long been limited due to low numbers of Treg cells and the difficulty in identifying their antigen specificity. In this review, we summarize studies that demonstrate regression of autoimmune diseases using Treg cells as therapeutics. We also discuss approaches to generate polyclonal and autoantigen-specific Treg cells in vitro and in vivo. We also discuss our recent study that describes a novel approach of generating autoantigen-specific Treg cells in vivo and restoring immune tolerance by two steps apoptosis-antigen therapy.
authors.affiliation: Mucosal Immunology Section, OPCB, National Institute of Dental & Craniofacial Research, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.|State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China.
authors.forename: Dunfang
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Mucosal Immunology Section, OPCB, National Institute of Dental & Craniofacial Research, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tu
authors.affiliation: Mucosal Immunology Section, OPCB, National Institute of Dental & Craniofacial Research, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
authors.forename: Shimpei
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kasagi
authors.affiliation: Mucosal Immunology Section, OPCB, National Institute of Dental & Craniofacial Research, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Zanvit
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China.
authors.forename: Qianming
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Mucosal Immunology Section, OPCB, National Institute of Dental & Craniofacial Research, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
authors.forename: WanJun
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D001324:Autoantigens / Q000276:immunology; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy*; D015551:Autoimmunity; D015704:CD4 Antigens / Q000378:metabolism; D051858:Forkhead Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007108:Immune Tolerance; D007165:Immunosuppression Therapy; D016219:Immunotherapy, Adoptive; D053645:Interleukin-2 Receptor alpha Subunit / Q000378:metabolism; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000276:immunology* / Q000637:transplantation
chemical_list: D001324:Autoantigens; D015704:CD4 Antigens; C418974:FOXP3 protein, human; D051858:Forkhead Transcription Factors; D053645:Interleukin-2 Receptor alpha Subunit
keywords: IL-2; TGF-β; Treg; antigen-specific Treg; autoantigen; autoimmune disease; cell apoptosis; immunotherapy