Cools Nathalie, Ponsaerts Peter, Van Tendeloo Viggo F I, Berneman Zwi N
Vaccine and Infectiouse Disease Institute (VIDI), Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, University of Antwerp, 2610 Antwerp, Belgium.
Clin Dev Immunol. 2007;2007:89195. doi: 10.1155/2007/89195.
The main function of our immune system is to protect us from invading pathogens and microorganisms by destroying infected cells, while minimizing collateral damage to tissues. In order to maintain this balance between immunity and tolerance, current understanding of the immune system attributes a major role to regulatory T cells (Tregs) in controlling both immunity and tolerance. Various subsets of Tregs have been identified based on their expression of cell surface markers, production of cytokines, and mechanisms of action. In brief, naturally occurring thymic-derived CD4+CD25+ Tregs are characterized by constitutive expression of the transcription factor FOXP3, while antigen-induced or adaptive Tregs are mainly identified by expression of immunosuppressive cytokines (interleukin-10 (IL-10) and/or transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta)). While Tregs in normal conditions regulate ongoing immune responses and prevent autoimmunity, imbalanced function or number of these Tregs, either enhanced or decreased, might lead, respectively, to decreased immunity (e.g., with tumor development or infections) or autoimmunity (e.g., multiple sclerosis). This review will discuss recent research towards a better understanding of the biology of Tregs, their interaction with other immune effector cells, such as dendritic cells, and possible interventions in human disease.
我们免疫系统的主要功能是通过破坏受感染的细胞来保护我们免受入侵病原体和微生物的侵害，同时将对组织的附带损害降至最低。为了维持免疫与耐受之间的这种平衡，目前对免疫系统的理解认为调节性T细胞（Tregs）在控制免疫和耐受方面发挥着主要作用。基于细胞表面标志物的表达、细胞因子的产生以及作用机制，已鉴定出Tregs的各种亚群。简而言之，天然存在的胸腺来源的CD4+CD25+ Tregs的特征在于转录因子FOXP3的组成性表达，而抗原诱导的或适应性Tregs主要通过免疫抑制细胞因子（白细胞介素-10（IL-10）和/或转化生长因子-β（TGF-β））的表达来鉴定。虽然在正常情况下Tregs调节正在进行的免疫反应并预防自身免疫，但这些Tregs功能或数量的失衡，无论是增强还是减少，都可能分别导致免疫力下降（例如，伴随着肿瘤发展或感染）或自身免疫（例如，多发性硬化症）。本综述将讨论最近为更好地理解Tregs生物学、它们与其他免疫效应细胞（如树突状细胞）的相互作用以及对人类疾病可能的干预措施所开展的研究。
