Transplant Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA.
Am J Transplant. 2012 Sep;12(9):2532-7. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-6143.2012.04133.x. Epub 2012 Jun 8.
IL-2 is a known potent T cell growth factor that amplifies lymphocyte responses in vivo. This capacity has led to the use of high-dose IL-2 to enhance T cell immunity in patients with AIDS or cancer. However, more recent studies have indicated that IL-2 is also critical for the development and peripheral expansion of regulatory T cells (Tregs). In the current study, low-dose IL-2 (1 million IU/m(2) BSA/day) was administered to expand Tregs in vivo in naïve nonhuman primates. Our study demonstrated that low-dose IL-2 therapy significantly expanded peripheral blood CD4(+) and CD8(+) Tregs in vivo with limited expansion of non-Treg cells. These expanded Tregs are mainly CD45RA(-) Foxp3(high) activated Tregs and demonstrated potent immunosuppressive function in vitro. The results of this preclinical study can serve as a basis to develop Treg immunotherapy, which has significant therapeutic potential in organ/cellular transplantation.
白细胞介素 2(IL-2)是一种已知的强效 T 细胞生长因子,可在体内增强淋巴细胞的反应。这种能力导致高剂量白细胞介素 2 被用于增强艾滋病或癌症患者的 T 细胞免疫。然而,最近的研究表明,白细胞介素 2 对于调节性 T 细胞(Tregs)的发育和外周扩展也至关重要。在本研究中,低剂量白细胞介素 2(100 万 IU/m2BSA/天)被用于在新生非人类灵长类动物体内扩增 Tregs。我们的研究表明,低剂量白细胞介素 2 治疗可显著扩增体内外周血 CD4+和 CD8+Tregs,而非 Treg 细胞的扩增有限。这些扩增的 Tregs 主要是 CD45RA(-)Foxp3(高)活化的 Tregs,并且在体外具有很强的免疫抑制功能。这项临床前研究的结果可以为 Treg 免疫疗法的发展提供基础,这种疗法在器官/细胞移植中具有重要的治疗潜力。