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Published on: January 22, 2020
Plasticity of CD4(+) FoxP3(+) T cells
Xuyu Zhou1, Samantha Bailey-Bucktrout, Lukas T Jeker
1Diabetes Center and the Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA.
Current Opinion in Immunology
|June 9, 2009
Summary
Regulatory T (Treg) cells are crucial for immune tolerance. Some Tregs can lose their regulatory function and develop into effector cells, potentially contributing to various diseases.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Cell Biology
Background:
- Regulatory T (Treg) cells are vital for maintaining immunological tolerance.
- The transcription factor FoxP3 is a key marker for Treg cells.
- Advances in reporter mice have illuminated Treg biology.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the stability of the Treg cell population.
- To explore the plasticity of Tregs and their potential to acquire effector functions.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature on Treg cell stability and plasticity.
- Analysis of studies utilizing functional reporter mice.
Main Results:
- Treg cells can downregulate FoxP3 expression.
- Under certain conditions, Tregs can lose regulatory activity.
- These cells can transform into memory T cells with effector functions, producing IL-17 and IFN-gamma.
- These 'exTregs' are implicated in inflammatory diseases.
Conclusions:
- Treg cell stability is dynamic, not absolute.
- The plasticity of Tregs suggests a role in autoimmunity, cancer, and infectious diseases.
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