| First Author | Villalta SA | Year | 2014 |
| Journal | Sci Transl Med | Volume | 6 |
| Issue | 258 | Pages | 258ra142 |
| PubMed ID | 25320234 | Mgi Jnum | J:225777 |
| Mgi Id | MGI:5694331 | Doi | 10.1126/scitranslmed.3009925 |
| Citation | Villalta SA, et al. (2014) Regulatory T cells suppress muscle inflammation and injury in muscular dystrophy. Sci Transl Med 6(258):258ra142 |
| abstractText | We examined the hypothesis that regulatory T cells (Tregs) modulate muscle injury and inflammation in the mdx mouse model of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). Although Tregs were largely absent in the muscle of wild-type mice and normal human muscle, they were present in necrotic lesions, displayed an activated phenotype, and showed increased expression of interleukin-10 (IL-10) in dystrophic muscle from mdx mice. Depletion of Tregs exacerbated muscle injury and the severity of muscle inflammation, which was characterized by an enhanced interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) response and activation of M1 macrophages. To test the therapeutic value of targeting Tregs in muscular dystrophy, we treated mdx mice with IL-2/anti-IL-2 complexes and found that Tregs and IL-10 concentrations were increased in muscle, resulting in reduced expression of cyclooxygenase-2 and decreased myofiber injury. These findings suggest that Tregs modulate the progression of muscular dystrophy by suppressing type 1 inflammation in muscle associated with muscle fiber injury, and highlight the potential of Treg-modulating agents as therapeutics for DMD. |
