Type 1 regulatory T cells: a new mechanism of peripheral immune tolerance

The lack of immune response to an antigen, a process known as immune tolerance, is essential for the preservation of immune homeostasis. To date, two mechanisms that drive immune tolerance have been described extensively: central tolerance and peripheral tolerance. Under the new nomenclature, thymus-derived regulatory T (tT(reg)) cells are the major mediators of central immune tolerance, whereas peripherally derived regulatory T (pT(reg)) cells function to regulate peripheral immune tolerance. A third type of T(reg) cells, termed iT(reg), represents only the in vitro-induced T(reg) cells(1). Depending on whether the cells stably express Foxp3, pT(reg), and iT(reg) cells may be divided into two subsets: the classical CD4(+)Foxp3(+) T(reg) cells and the CD4(+)Foxp3(-) type 1 regulatory T (Tr1) cells(2). This review focuses on the discovery, associated biomarkers, regulatory functions, methods of induction, association with disease, and clinical trials of Tr1 cells.