Ex-TFRs: A Missing Piece of the SLE Puzzle?

Overview

Journal Front Immunol

Specialty Allergy & Immunology

Date 2021 Apr 26

PMID 33897710

Citations 2

Authors

Xundong Wei

Jianhua Zhang

Xuyu Zhou

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic multi-organ autoimmune disease involving the production of a wide range of autoantibodies and complement activation. The production of these high-affinity autoantibodies requires T cell/B cell collaboration as well as germinal center (GC) formation. T follicular regulatory cells (TFRs) are functional specialized T regulatory cells (Tregs) that safeguard against both self-reactive T and B cells. However, recent evidence suggests that TFRs are not always stable and can lose Foxp3 expression to become pathogenic "ex-TFRs" that gain potent effector functions. In this review, we summarize the literature on intrinsic and extrinsic mechanisms of regulation of TFR stability and discuss the potential role of TFR reprogramming in autoantibody production and SLE pathogenesis.

Citing Articles

Pathogenesis and novel therapeutics of regulatory T cell subsets and interleukin-2 therapy in systemic lupus erythematosus.

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