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Tissue regulatory T cells: regulatory chameleons
Andrés R Muñoz-Rojas1,2, Diane Mathis3,4
1Department of Immunology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
Nature Reviews. Immunology
|March 27, 2021
Summary
Regulatory T (Treg) cells in non-lymphoid tissues exhibit unique characteristics and functions compared to those in lymphoid organs. Understanding tissue Treg cell biology is crucial for developing advanced immunotherapies.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Cell Biology
- Tissue Engineering
Background:
- FOXP3+CD4+ regulatory T (Treg) cells in non-lymphoid tissues possess distinct phenotypes and functions compared to lymphoid-resident Treg cells.
- Tissue-resident Treg cells exhibit unique transcriptomes, T cell receptor repertoires, and dependencies on growth factors for survival and function within their specific tissue microenvironment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To elucidate the specialized biology of tissue-resident Treg cells.
- To understand the differentiation pathways and functional roles of Treg cells in non-lymphoid tissues.
- To explore the potential of tissue Treg cell biology for precision immunotherapeutics.
Main Methods:
- Comparative analysis of Treg cell transcriptomes and T cell receptor repertoires from lymphoid and non-lymphoid tissues.
- Investigation of growth and survival factor dependencies for tissue-resident Treg cells.
- Characterization of Treg cell functions in tissue homeostasis, metabolism, repair, regeneration, and progenitor cell control.
Main Results:
- Tissue-resident Treg cells demonstrate significant divergence from lymphoid counterparts in phenotype, transcriptome, and functional dependencies.
- These cells play multifaceted roles beyond immune surveillance, including metabolic regulation, tissue repair, and control of non-lymphoid cell progenitors.
- A common FOXP3+CD4+ precursor in lymphoid organs differentiates into specialized tissue Treg cells via common and tissue-specific transcriptional programs.
Conclusions:
- Tissue-resident Treg cells are highly specialized immune cells with unique biological properties essential for tissue health.
- Their diverse functions highlight their importance in maintaining tissue homeostasis and promoting repair and regeneration.
- Harnessing the unique biology of tissue Treg cells holds promise for the development of novel precision immunotherapeutics.
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