First Author | Kim JM | Year | 2007 |
Journal | Nat Immunol | Volume | 8 |
Issue | 2 | Pages | 191-7 |
PubMed ID | 17136045 | Mgi Jnum | J:117743 |
Mgi Id | MGI:3697534 | Doi | 10.1038/ni1428 |
Citation | Kim JM, et al. (2007) Regulatory T cells prevent catastrophic autoimmunity throughout the lifespan of mice. Nat Immunol 8(2):191-7 |
abstractText | Mice lacking the transcription factor Foxp3 (Foxp3(-)) lack regulatory T (T(reg)) cells and develop fatal autoimmune pathology. In Foxp3(-) mice, many activated effector T cells express self-reactive T cell receptors that are expressed in T(reg) cells in wild-type mice. Thus, in wild-type mice, most self-reactive thymocytes escaping negative selection are diverted into the T(reg) lineage, and whether T(reg) cells are critical in self-tolerance in wild-type mice remains unknown. Here, acute in vivo ablation of T(reg) cells demonstrated a vital function for T(reg) cells in neonatal and adult mice. We suggest that self-reactive T cells are continuously suppressed by T(reg) cells and that when suppression is relieved, self-reactive T cells become activated and facilitate accelerated maturation of dendritic cells. |