TGFβ induced FoxP3+ regulatory cells prevent Th1 mediated colitis in vivo

Loss of immune tolerance is a key feature at the basis of many autoimmune human diseases such as IBDs. Tolerance is achieved through both central deletion of self reactive T cells and the peripheral control of potentially autoaggressive effector cells by means of specialized regulatory cells. A subgroup of these regulatory cells, characterized by the constitutive expression of CD25, GITR and CTLA–4, have been recently found to express the transcription factor FoxP3, being responsible for the regulatory phenotype of these cells. Although these cells have been demonstrated to originate from the thymus during the f…