Restoration of established systemic inflammation and autoimmunity by Foxp3^(+) regulatory T cells

摘要

Immune tolerance ensures the disease-free status of an individual by preventing the appearance of pathological conditions,such as autoimmune and inflammatory diseases.Among the various players implicated in the maintenance of immune tolerance,CD4^(+)CD25^(+)regulatory T(Treg)cells that express the X-linked transcription factor Forkhead box P3(Foxp3)play a major role.FoxP3 governs the functions of Treg cells.In fact,a deficiency in Treg cells due to mutations in FoxP3 leads to fatal autoimmune and inflammatory conditions in humans called immunodysregulation polyendocrinopathy enteropathy x-linked(IPEX)syndrome.Similar observations have also been made in mice,in which FoxP3 deficiency leads to autoimmune pathology and death early in life.In addition,various mutations in Treg-associated immunoregulatory molecules lead to inflammatory conditions[1].