CD4+CD25+ Immunoregulatory T Cells: New Therapeutics for Graft-Versus-Host Disease

JL Cohen, A Trenado, D Vasey, D Klatzmann… - The Journal of …, 2002 - rupress.org
JL Cohen, A Trenado, D Vasey, D Klatzmann, BL Salomon
The Journal of experimental medicine, 2002rupress.org
CD4+ CD25+ immunoregulatory T cells play a pivotal role in preventing organ-specific
autoimmune diseases and in tolerance induction to allogeneic organ transplants. We
investigated whether these cells could also control graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), the
main complication after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Here, we
show that the few CD4+ CD25+ T cells naturally present in the transplant regulate GVHD
because their removal from the graft dramatically accelerates this disease. Furthermore, the …
CD4+CD25+ immunoregulatory T cells play a pivotal role in preventing organ-specific autoimmune diseases and in tolerance induction to allogeneic organ transplants. We investigated whether these cells could also control graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), the main complication after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Here, we show that the few CD4+CD25+ T cells naturally present in the transplant regulate GVHD because their removal from the graft dramatically accelerates this disease. Furthermore, the addition of freshly isolated CD4+CD25+ T cells at time of grafting significantly delays or even prevents GVHD. Ex vivo–expanded CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cells obtained after stimulation by allogeneic recipient-type antigen-presenting cells can also modulate GVHD. Thus, CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cells represent a new therapeutic tool for controlling GVHD in allogeneic HSCT. More generally, these results outline the tremendous potential of regulatory T cells as therapeutics.
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