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Application of IL-2 therapy to target T regulatory cell function

Ethan M Shevach1

  • 1Laboratory of Immunology, National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA. eshevach@niaid.nih.gov

Trends in Immunology
|September 7, 2012
PubMed

Interleukin-2 (IL-2) was originally discovered as a growth factor for activated T cells in vitro. IL-2 promotes CD8(+) T cell growth and differentiation in vivo, but has little effect on CD4(+) T cell function. Regulatory T cells (Treg cells) express all three chains (CD25, CD122, and CD132) of the IL-2 receptor complex and are dependent on IL-2 for survival and function. Exogenous IL-2 can augment Treg cell numbers in vivo and may have therapeutic value in the treatment of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. Complexes of IL-2 with different IL-2 antibodies can target delivery to cells expressing all three receptor chains (Treg cells and activated T effector cells) or to cells expressing just CD122 and CD132 (NK cells and memory phenotype CD8(+) T cells).

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