Regulatory T cells and their targeting for cancer therapy
Definition and markers of regulatory T cells
The major function of the immune system is to protect the organism from a variety of pathogens, such as bacteria, fungi and viruses, and thereby to preserve the integrity of the body. This is possible due to the ability of the immune system to recognize „self” and respond to „non-self” in a process of immune response. Importantly, in order to maintain the immunological self-tolerance and simultaneously to eliminate the danger triggered by harmful pathogens, the activity of the immune system needs to be tightly regulated. The essential role in this regulation is played by various subpopulations of CD4+ T lymphocytes, the majority of which are helper T cells (Th) that promote the immune response. In turn, the specific CD4+ T cells, so called regulatory T cells (Tregs) quench the immune response and are considered as one of the main mechanisms that protect the host from autoimmunity.