Qin F Xiao-Feng
Department of Immunology, The University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
Cell Mol Immunol. 2009 Feb;6(1):3-13. doi: 10.1038/cmi.2009.2.
Regulatory T cells (Tregs) expressing forkhead/winged-helix transcription factor Foxp3 represent a distinct lineage of lymphocytes which play a central role in protecting the host from autoimmune diseases. However, Tregs also pose a major problem to anti-tumor immunity. Growing body of evidence from both laboratory and clinical investigations has demonstrated that expansion and accumulation of these immunosuppressive cells correlates with advanced tumor growth and predicts poor disease prognosis. How tumor development subverts normal self-tolerance function of Tregs thereby thwarts host anti-tumor immunity remains elusive. This review will discuss our current knowledge in understanding the dynamics and plasticity of Foxp3+ Treg activation and induction in tumor bearing hosts and their interaction with various antigen presenting cells (APCs) in tumor microenvironment leading to the establishment of active local and systemic immune suppression.
表达叉头/翼状螺旋转录因子Foxp3的调节性T细胞（Tregs）代表了一类独特的淋巴细胞谱系，它们在保护宿主免受自身免疫性疾病方面发挥着核心作用。然而，Tregs也给抗肿瘤免疫带来了一个主要问题。来自实验室和临床研究的越来越多的证据表明，这些免疫抑制细胞的扩增和积累与肿瘤的进展相关，并预示着疾病预后不良。肿瘤的发展如何颠覆Tregs的正常自身耐受功能从而阻碍宿主的抗肿瘤免疫，目前仍不清楚。本综述将讨论我们目前对荷瘤宿主中Foxp3+ Treg激活和诱导的动态变化及可塑性的认识，以及它们与肿瘤微环境中各种抗原呈递细胞（APC）的相互作用，这些相互作用导致了局部和全身主动免疫抑制的建立。
