Tff1-expressing Tregs in Lung Prevent Exacerbation of Bleomycin-induced Pulmonary Fibrosis

Overview

Journal Front Immunol

Specialty Allergy & Immunology

Date 2024 Sep 17

PMID 39286257

Authors

Masaaki Okamoto

Ayumi Kuratani

Daisuke Okuzaki

Naganori Kamiyama

Takashi Kobayashi

Miwa Sasai

Masahiro Yamamoto

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Bleomycin (BLM) induces lung injury, leading to inflammation and pulmonary fibrosis. Regulatory T cells (Tregs) maintain self-tolerance and control host immune responses. However, little is known about their involvement in the pathology of pulmonary fibrosis. Here we show that a unique Treg subset expressing trefoil factor family 1 (Tff1) emerges in the BLM-injured lung. These Tff1-expressing Tregs (Tff1-Tregs) were induced by IL-33. Moreover, although Tff1 ablation in Tregs did not change the pathological condition, selective ablation of Tff1-Tregs using an intersectional genetic method promoted pro-inflammatory features of macrophages in the injured lung and exacerbated the fibrosis. Taken together, our study revealed the presence of a unique Treg subset expressing Tff1 in BLM-injured lungs and their critical role in the injured lung to ameliorate fibrosis.

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