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Review

Nature Reviews Immunology 5, 271–283 (1 April 2005) | doi:10.1038/nri1589

Potential role of interleukin-10-secreting regulatory T cells in allergy and asthma

C. M. Hawrylowicz & A. O'Garra

Allergic diseases are caused by aberrant T-helper-2 immune responses in susceptible individuals. Both naturally occurring CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cells and inducible populations of antigen-specific interleukin-10-secreting regulatory T cells inhibit these inappropriate immune responses in experimental models. This article discusses the evidence that regulatory T-cell function might be impaired in allergic and asthmatic disease and that certain therapeutic regimens might function, at least in part, to promote regulatory T-cell generation. Current research strategies seek to exploit these observations to improve the generation of allergen-specific regulatory T-cell populations with the potential to provide the safe and long-term alleviation of disease symptoms.