Tregs

One of many immunotolerance mechanisms that immune system has developed to distinguish between self and non-self antigens is regulatory T cells or Tregs.

One of many immunotolerance mechanisms that immune system has developed to distinguish between self and non-self antigens is regulatory T cells or Tregs.

These cells are recently characterized specialized T-cell subsets that actively suppress a variety of immune responses. Researchers have broadly classified Tregs into natural and adaptive Tregs. Natural Tregs are CD4+CD25+ T-cells that originate in the thymus and play a significant role in immune homeostasis and protection against autoimmunity. Adaptive Tregs are non-regulatory CD4+ T-cells that have up-regulated CD25 expression during pathological and inflammatory conditions such as cancers and infections.

Although the principal immunosuppressive mechanism of Tregs remains elusive, several in vivo experimental models have indicated that Tregs secrete large amounts of immunosuppressants including IL-9, IL-10 and TGF-Beta; upon activation.

These lymphokines are capable of inhibiting activation of Th1, Th2 cells and CTLs required for cell-mediated immunity, inflammation and antibody production. Certain recent experimental data and results even indicate that IL-2-IL-2R signaling is vital for development, maintenance, survival, expansion and suppressive activity of Tregs. Increased expression of certain other characteristic markers including CTLA-4, glucocorticoid-inducible tumor necrosis factor receptor (GITR) and OX40 has been identified on Tregs whose function inside these cells is still not clear. The TCRs displayed on Tregs are capable of recognizing and interacting with any peptide-MHC class II ligand having certain range of avidity. But, the contribution of TCR signaling and role of TCR-ligand interactions towards regulatory T-cell development needs to be determined.