Immune Homeostasis: Regulatory T Cells (Treg) and Molecules

Excerpt

The generation of regulatory T cells (Treg) is required for the maintenance of peripheral homeostasis and effector functions. There are several types of CD4+ Treg, including nTreg, which develop in the thymus and iTreg, which is comprised of IL10-producing Treg and TGF-β-producing Treg, and their role in the control of a variety of autoimmune diseases in mice and humans has been delineated. Rapid progress has been made in the understanding of various molecular and cellular mechanisms involved in the generation of Treg cells, the molecules involved, their role in immune homeostasis, autoimmunity, and inflammation, and possible therapeutic role in human diseases. These topics were discussed at the International Conference on Regulatory T cells in Newport Beach, California on February 6–8, 2008. …