Regulatory T cells

Regulatory T cells (often abbreviated as Tregs or Treg cells) are a component of the immune system that suppress immune responses of other cells. This is an important "self-check" built into the immune system to prevent excessive reactions.

Function

Regulatory T cells are crucial for the maintenance of immunological tolerance. Their major role is to shut down T cell-mediated immunity toward the end of an immune reaction and to suppress auto-reactive T cells that escaped the process of negative selection in the thymus.

Subsets

Two major classes of CD4+ Regulatory T cells have been described — FOXP3+ Treg cells and Th3 cells.

FOXP3+ Treg cells

FOXP3+ Treg cells (often referred to as naturally occurring Treg cells) are thought to be a separate lineage from naive T cells, developing in the thymus from CD4+CD8+ double positive thymocytes after interaction with self-MHC class II molecules.

Th3 cells

Th3 cells were first described in the context of immune tolerance to dietary antigens and autoimmune disease. They are known to secrete TGF-β and IL-10.

Clinical significance

Regulatory T cells are involved in shutting down immune responses after they have successfully eliminated invading organisms, and also in preventing autoimmunity.

See also

• Immune system
• Immunological tolerance
• FOXP3
• Th3 cells
• MHC class II
• TGF-β
• IL-10

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