An atlas of human regulatory T helper-like cells reveals features of Th2-like tregs that support a tumorigenic environment
Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Regulatory T cells (Tregs) play a pivotal role in maintaining immunological tolerance, but they can also play a detrimental role by preventing antitumor responses. Here, we characterized T helper (Th)-like Treg subsets to further delineate their biological function and tissue distribution, focusing on their possible contribution to disease states. RNA sequencing and functional assays revealed that Th2-like Tregs displayed higher viability and autocrine interleukin-2 (IL-2)-mediated activation than other subsets. Th2-like Tregs were preferentially found in tissues rather than circulation and exhibited the highest migratory capacity toward chemokines enriched at tumor sites. These cellular responses led us to hypothesize that this subset could play a role in maintaining a tumorigenic environment. Concurrently, Th2-like Tregs were enriched specifically in malignant tissues from patients with melanoma and colorectal cancer compared to healthy tissue. Overall, our results suggest that Th2-like Tregs may contribute to a tumorigenic environment due to their increased cell survival, higher migratory capacity, and selective T-effector suppressive ability.
Date Issued
2017-07-18
Date Acceptance
2017-06-26
Citation
Cell Reports, 2017, 20 (3), pp.757-770
ISSN
2211-1247
Publisher
Elsevier
Start Page
757
End Page
770
Journal / Book Title
Cell Reports
Volume
20
Issue
3
Copyright Statement
© 2017 The Authors. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
Identifier
http://gateway.webofknowledge.com/gateway/Gateway.cgi?GWVersion=2&SrcApp=PARTNER_APP&SrcAuth=LinksAMR&KeyUT=WOS:000405690100020&DestLinkType=FullRecord&DestApp=ALL_WOS&UsrCustomerID=1ba7043ffcc86c417c072aa74d649202
Subjects
Science & Technology
Life Sciences & Biomedicine
Cell Biology
TRANSCRIPTION FACTOR FOXP3
COLORECTAL-CANCER
TH2 CELLS
TUMOR MICROENVIRONMENT
GASTRIC-CANCER
EXPRESSION
IMMUNITY
MEMORY
RESPONSES
SURVIVAL
Publication Status
Published
Date Publish Online
2017-07-18