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Control of T cell tolerance by phosphatase and tensin homolog
Author(s) -
Huynh Alexandria,
Turka Laurence A.
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
annals of the new york academy of sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.712
H-Index - 248
eISSN - 1749-6632
pISSN - 0077-8923
DOI - 10.1111/nyas.12015
Subject(s) - tensin , foxp3 , pten , microbiology and biotechnology , pi3k/akt/mtor pathway , biology , t cell , regulatory t cell , immune system , immune tolerance , il 2 receptor , cancer research , signal transduction , immunology
The in vivo maintenance of immune tolerance is critically dependent on regulatory T (T reg ) cells, a lineage of CD4 + T cells expressing the transcription factor Foxp3 that exerts immunoregulatory function. Because of the potential benefit of using T reg cells for cellular immunotherapy in clinical settings, including autoimmune disease and transplantation, much attention has been directed at understanding the signals that govern T reg cell development, function, and homeostasis. Studies with genetically modified mouse models have shown that the lipid phosphatase PTEN (phosphatase and tensin homolog), the predominant negative regulator of the PI3K/Akt pathway in T cells, has multiple functions in sustaining T cell–mediated immune tolerance in vivo . In addition to its role in maintaining T cell homeostasis, the PI3K/Akt pathway also has an essential role in T cell development and lineage commitment, contributing to the cell fate decision between conventional and regulatory T cells.