Induction of regulatory immune responses that control autoimmune diseases

Abstract

Regulatory T (Treg) cells play a fundamental role in suppressing excessive inflammatory responses to pathogens and in maintaining peripheral tolerance to self-antigens. A breakdown in self-tolerance or defect in Treg cells can result in uncontrolled effector T cell responses to self-antigens and the development of autoimmune disorders. Approaches that enhance the generation of auto-antigen-specific Treg cells have potential for the prevention or treatment of autoimmune disease. The aim of the present study was to address the hypothesis that it is possible to induce self-antigen-specific Treg cells in vivo. Furthermore, the study examined the possibility that prophylactic treatments that induced self-antigen- specific Treg cells have the capacity to prevent development of autoimmune diseases.