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The fate of regulatory T cells: survival or apoptosis

Cellular & Molecular Immunology volume 11, pages 11–13 (2014)Cite this article

Foxp3+ regulatory T cells (Tregs) are unique in their immunosuppressive abilities and contribution to immune regulation. However, the homeostatic processes and survival programs that maintain the Treg population remain unclear. Here, we highlight the recent study by Pierson et al.,1 which dissected the regulatory mechanisms of Treg homeostasis and survival. By utilizing transgenic models, the authors provide evidence to support the notion that peripheral Tregs are able to alter their proliferative and apoptotic rates to rapidly restore a numerical deficit through both interleukin 2 and costimulation-dependent pathways.

Tregs are characterized by their capacity to modulate immune responses and can typically be identified by their specific expression of Foxp3, the transcription factor that endows T cells with their regulatory functions.2,3 Tregs are critical and indispensable for maintaining peripheral tolerance, and there is an active balance between regulatory and effective immune responses under the steady state. Indeed, deterioration of the balance between regulatory and effective immune responses can lead to the induction of several types of diseases. For instance, effective immune responses are often hindered by an excessive number of Tregs in the tumor microenvironment,4 whereas decreases in the number and functionality of Tregs are observed in many autoimmune diseases and inflammatory conditions.5,6,7

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Acknowledgements

The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest and acknowledge the financial support of grants from the National Health Research Institutes, National Science Council (101-2320-B-182-027-MY3), and Chang Gung Memorial Hospital (CMRPD3B0052 and BMRP440). CRS and WCY contributed equally to this work.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medical Biotechnology and Laboratory Science and Graduate Institute of Biomedical Science, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan

    Chia-Rui Shen & Wei-Cheng Yang

  2. National Institute of Infectious Diseases and Vaccinology, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli, Taiwan

    Hsin-Wei Chen

  3. Graduate Institute of Immunology, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan

    Hsin-Wei Chen

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Correspondence to Hsin-Wei Chen.

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Shen, CR., Yang, WC. & Chen, HW. The fate of regulatory T cells: survival or apoptosis. Cell Mol Immunol 11, 11–13 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1038/cmi.2013.49

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