The plasticity and stability of regulatory T cells. Academic Article uri icon

Overview

abstract

  • Regulatory T (TReg) cells are crucial for the prevention of fatal autoimmunity in mice and humans. Forkhead box P3 (FOXP3)(+) TReg cells are produced in the thymus and are also generated from conventional CD4(+) T cells in peripheral sites. It has been suggested that FOXP3(+) TReg cells might become unstable under certain inflammatory conditions and might adopt a phenotype that is more characteristic of effector CD4(+) T cells. These suggestions have caused considerable debate in the field and have important implications for the therapeutic use of TReg cells. In this article, Nature Reviews Immunology asks several experts for their views on the plasticity and stability of TReg cells.

publication date

  • May 17, 2013

Research

keywords

  • CTLA-4 Antigen
  • Forkhead Transcription Factors
  • Interleukin-2 Receptor alpha Subunit
  • T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory
  • Thymus Gland

Identity

Scopus Document Identifier

  • 84878244870

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

  • 10.1038/nri3464

PubMed ID

  • 23681097

Additional Document Info

volume

  • 13

issue

  • 6