Foxp3+ Treg expanded from patients with established diabetes reduce Helios expression while retaining normal function...

Area of Science:

• Immunology
• Cell Therapy
• Autoimmune Diseases

Background:

• Foxp3(+) regulatory T cells (Treg) are essential for immune tolerance.
• Treg-based cell therapy is a promising approach for autoimmune diseases like type 1 diabetes (T1D) and preventing organ transplant rejection.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the feasibility of expanding functional Treg from long-term T1D patients for autologous cell therapy.
• To compare Treg characteristics between T1D patients and healthy individuals.

Main Methods:

• Peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBLs) were analyzed for Treg frequency and phenotype in T1D patients and healthy subjects.
• Treg were isolated and expanded ex vivo.
• Expression of Helios, IFN-γ, and TNF-α was assessed in Treg.
• Suppressive function of expanded Treg on CD8(+) effector T cells was evaluated.

Main Results:

• Comparable Treg frequencies were observed in T1D patients and healthy subjects, with increased Th1 cells in T1D patients.
• Treg from T1D patients showed a higher proportion of CD45RO(+) memory cells.
• Ex vivo expansion yielded high-purity Treg from both groups.
• Expanded Treg from T1D patients had lower Helios expression compared to healthy controls.
• Expanded Treg from both groups demonstrated equal capacity to suppress effector T cells.

Conclusions:

• Sufficient numbers of functional Treg can be obtained from long-term T1D patients through ex vivo expansion.
• Despite lower Helios expression, expanded Treg from T1D patients retain potent immune suppressive capabilities.
• These expanded Treg hold potential for therapeutic applications in T1D and islet transplantation.