Treating atherosclerosis with regulatory T cells - PubMed (original) (raw)

Review

Treating atherosclerosis with regulatory T cells

Amanda C Foks et al. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 2015 Feb.

Abstract

Regulatory T cells (Tregs) play an important role in the regulation of T-cell-mediated immune responses through suppression of T-cell proliferation and secretion of inhibitory cytokines, such as interleukin-10 and transforming growth factor-β. Impaired Treg numbers and function have been associated with numerous diseases, and an imbalance between proinflammatory/proatherogenic cells and Tregs promotes atherosclerotic disease. Restoration of this balance by inducing Tregs has great therapeutic potential to prevent cardiovascular disease. In addition to suppressing differentiation and function of effector T cells, Tregs have been shown to induce anti-inflammatory macrophages, inhibit foam cell formation and to influence cholesterol metabolism. Furthermore, Tregs suppress immune responses of endothelial cells and innate lymphoid cells. In this review, we focus on the recent knowledge on Treg subsets, their activity and function in atherosclerosis, and discuss promising strategies to use Tregs as a therapeutic tool to prevent cardiovascular disease.

Keywords: atherosclerosis; immune system.

© 2014 American Heart Association, Inc.

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Figures

Figure 1

Figure 1

Regulatory T cells; mechanism of action in atherosclerosis. Regulatory T cells can modulate several processes involved in the development of atherosclerosis. Tregs can inhibit pro-atherogenic T cells, dendritic cell (DC) activation and migration, macrophage inflammation, foam cell formation, endothelial cell (EC) activation and can affect cholesterol metabolism.

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