Unravelling the Functions of Regulatory T Cells during Infection

摘要

Accumulating evidences have suggested that Treg have an active role in the regulation of immunity to infection. Treg suppress not only autoimmune responses but also other immune responses for instance, during acute infections, against commensal microbes in inflammatory diseases or during chronic illness. Treg have been shown to limit exacerbated inflammation to avoid collateral tissue damage. Treg are also suggested to provide early protective responses in some viral infections as the permitting timely entry of effector cells in infected tissue. Furthermore, Treg have been shown to contribute to form memory pool after resolution of infection. In this review, we survey and analysis our current knowledge and relative dynamics of Treg in a wide range of infection settings and elaborate the examples in which these cells are of critical importance in conferring tolerance, suppressing pathogenesis, inducing protection and optimizing immunity to eliminate infection.