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Updated: Jun 10, 2026

Phenotypic and Functional Analysis of Activated Regulatory T Cells Isolated from Chronic Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis Virus-infected Mice
Published on: June 22, 2016
Epitope-specific regulatory CD4 T cells reduce virus-induced illness while preserving CD8 T-cell effector function at
Jie Liu1, Tracy J Ruckwardt, Man Chen
1Vaccine Research Center, NIAID, National Institutes of Health, 40 Convent Dr., Bethesda, MD 20892-3017, USA.
Abstract:
The role of epitope-specific regulatory CD4 T cells in modulating CD8 T-cell-mediated immunopathology during acute viral infection has not been well defined. In the murine model of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection, CD8 T cells play an important role in both viral clearance and immunopathology. We have previously characterized two RSV epitope-specific CD4 T-cell responses with distinct phenotypic properties. One of them, the IA(b)M(209)-specific subset, constitutively expresses FoxP3 and modulates CD8 T-cell function in vitro. We show here that the IA(b)M(209)-specific CD4 T-cell response regulates CD8 T-cell function in vivo and is associated with diminished RSV-induced illness without affecting viral clearance at the site of infection. Achieving the optimal balance of regulatory and effector T-cell function is an important consideration for designing future vaccines.
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