Human thymus medullary epithelial cells promote regulatory T-cell generation by stimulating interleukin-2 production via ICOS ligand.

ABSTRACT: Natural thymic T regulatory (tTreg) cells maintain tolerance to self-antigen. These cells are generated in the thymus, but how this generation occurs is still controversial. Furthermore, the contribution of thymus epithelial cells to this process is still unclear, especially in humans. Using an exceptional panel of human thymic samples, we demonstrated that medullary thymus epithelial cells (mTECs) promote the generation of tTreg cells and favor their function. These effects were mediated through soluble factors and were mTEC specific since other cell types had no such effect. By evaluating the effects of mTECs on the absolute number of Treg cells and their state of proliferation or cell death, we conclude that mTECs promote the proliferation of newly generated CD25+ cells from CD4+CD25- c

SUBMITTER: Nazzal D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4540205 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature