Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disorder in which immune cells attack the joints, causing inflammation, swelling, and erosion. Specific sets of immune cells, known as T cells, are responsible for inducing disease. In this issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation , researchers led by Harvey Cantor at Harvard University analyzed the contributions of different subsets of T cells to an RA-like condition in mice. Cantor and colleagues identified a subset of regulatory T cells (CD8+ Tregs) that can remove pathogenic T cell subsets and inhibit disease progression. Additionally, they identified small proteins that induced more CD8+ Tregs. These findings suggest that enhancing specific T cell subsets may be useful in combating RA and other autoimmune diseases.
TITLE:
Amelioration of arthritis through mobilization of peptide-specific CD8+ regulatory T-cells
AUTHOR CONTACT:
Harvey Cantor
Dana Farber Cancer Institute
Boston, MA, USA
Phone: 617-632-3348
Fax: 617-632-4630
E-mail: harvey_cantor@dfci.harvard.edu
Journal of Clinical Investigation