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The IL‐33/ST2 axis is specifically required for development of adipose tissue‐resident regulatory T cells

Cellular & Molecular Immunology volume 12, pages 521–524 (2015)Cite this article

Currently, T cells dedicated to mediating immunosuppression and homeostasis are called regulatory T (Treg) cells. Treg cells are closely associated with infection, allergy, autoimmunity, tumor immunity, fetal–maternal tolerance, and organ transplantation. Treg cells exert their immunosuppressive functions by directly killing or inhibiting T cells and antigen‐presenting cells (dendritic cells, macrophages, and B cells) and by producing suppressive cytokines such as TGF‐β, IL‐10, IL‐35, and galectin‐1. However, the classification and phenotypes of Treg cell subsets remain largely unclear. The discovery of tissue‐resident Treg cells with transcriptional, phenotypic, and functional heterogeneity renders Treg cell subsets more enigmatic. Research regarding tissue‐resident Treg cells has become a hot topic. Due to the particular distribution, distinct developmental process and antigenic specificity of various tissue‐resident Treg cells, their roles also go beyond the canonical functions of the immune system in health and disease1,2. The best example is the visceral adipose tissue Treg (VAT‐Treg) cell subset, which prevents obesity‐associated inflammation and preserves insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance; thus, this subset of cells is closely associated with obesity, type 2 diabetes and metabolic cardiovascular disease3,4. In a recent issue of Nature Immunology, Vasanthakumar et al. revealed a critical role and mechanism of the IL‐33/ST2 axis in the development and maintenance of VAT‐Treg cells5.

The classification and phenotypes of Treg cell subsets are extremely complex and confusing. Listing all of the subsets that have been discussed in the literature is difficult. To recognize VAT‐Treg cells better, the following basic information regarding how to group Treg cell subsets that have frequently appeared in published papers must be understood (Table 1).

Table 1 Enigmatic classification and phenotypic heterogeneity of regulatory T cell subsets
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  1. Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Showa University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan

    Zhi‐Qing Hu & Wei‐Hua Zhao

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Hu, Z., Zhao, W. The IL‐33/ST2 axis is specifically required for development of adipose tissue‐resident regulatory T cells. Cell Mol Immunol 12, 521–524 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1038/cmi.2015.49

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