Stability of the Regulatory T Cell Lineage in Vivo

TLDR

Regulatory T cells expressing Foxp3 maintain immune tolerance by preventing excessive inflammation, and cell populations can achieve homeostasis through self‑renewal of terminally differentiated cells. Genetic fate mapping and cell transfer studies show that Foxp3‑expressing regulatory T cells are remarkably stable under basal and inflammatory conditions, maintaining their identity through self‑renewal, which supports their use in adoptive cell therapies for autoimmunity and inflammatory disorders. Rubtsov et al.

Abstract

Self-Renewing T Cells The homeostasis of cell populations within an organism can be achieved through a variety of mechanisms, including the differentiation of precursor populations, self-renewal of terminally differentiated cells, or by programming cells to be extremely long-lived. Regulatory T cells that express the transcription factor Foxp3 are critical for maintaining immune tolerance by preventing excessive inflammation and autoimmunity. Rubtsov et al. (p. 1667 ) now use genetic fate mapping and cell transfer studies in vivo to demonstrate that Foxp3-expressing cells are remarkably stable under both basal and inflammatory conditions. Thus, regulatory T cells appear to be maintained through self-renewal and should maintain their identity if used in adoptive cell therapies for treatment of autoimmunity or other inflammatory disorders.