Regulatory T cell-mediated transplantation tolerance

Ankit Bharat1, Ryan Courtney Fields, T Mohanakumar

  • 1Department of Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA.

Immunologic Research
|February 8, 2006
PubMed

The existence of naturally occurring regulatory T cells in normal hosts and their pivotal role in maintaining both auto- and allo-tolerance have direct implications on the therapy of autoimmune disorders and for achieving immunosuppression-free allotransplantation. Among the various forms of regulatory T cells described, CD4(+)CD25(+) T cells have emerged as one of the most potent tolerogenic subsets. In this review, we discuss the molecular basis of development and function of these regulatory T cells and their potential role in the context of chronic lung allograft rejection.