Nature Immunology6, 353 - 360 (2005)
Published online: 22 March 2005; | doi:10.1038/ni1181
Natural regulatory T cells in infectious disease
Yasmine Belkaid1, 3
& Barry T Rouse2
1
Division of Molecular Immunology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Research Foundation, Cincinnati, Ohio 45229, USA.
2
Department of Microbiology, Walters Life Sciences Building, University of Tennessee Knoxville, Tennessee, 37996, USA.
3
Present address: Laboratory of Parasitic Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA.
This review discusses the control exerted by natural CD4+ CD25+ regulatory T cells (natural Treg cells) during infectious processes. Natural Treg cells may limit the magnitude of effector responses, which may result in failure to adequately control infection. However, natural Treg cells also help limit collateral tissue damage caused by vigorous antimicrobial immune responses. We describe here various situations in which the balance between natural Treg cells and effector immune functions influences the outcome of infection and discuss how manipulating this equilibrium might be exploited therapeutically.
MORE ARTICLES LIKE THIS
These links to content published by NPG are automatically generated.
