Rapamycin combined with TGF-β converts human invariant NKT cells into suppressive Foxp3+ regulatory cells

L Moreira-Teixeira, M Resende… - The Journal of …, 2012 - journals.aai.org
L Moreira-Teixeira, M Resende, O Devergne, JP Herbeuval, O Hermine, E Schneider, M Dy…
The Journal of Immunology, 2012journals.aai.org
Invariant NKT (iNKT) cells constitute a versatile T cell subset with important regulatory
functions, which are thought to result essentially from their capacity to promptly produce
cytokines that influence the Th1/Th2 balance. In this study, we report that these cells can
also express Foxp3, an important transcriptional regulator associated with suppressive
activity, once they have been exposed to TGF-β. Foxp3 was expressed by iNKT cells from
both peripheral and cord blood. CD4+ iNKT cells acquired Foxp3 expression preferentially …
Abstract
Invariant NKT (iNKT) cells constitute a versatile T cell subset with important regulatory functions, which are thought to result essentially from their capacity to promptly produce cytokines that influence the Th1/Th2 balance. In this study, we report that these cells can also express Foxp3, an important transcriptional regulator associated with suppressive activity, once they have been exposed to TGF-β. Foxp3 was expressed by iNKT cells from both peripheral and cord blood. CD4+ iNKT cells acquired Foxp3 expression preferentially, although a lower proportion of their CD4− counterpart also became positive. All Foxp3+ iNKT cells displayed CD25 but not necessarily CTLA4 or GITR, regardless of the upregulation of these markers in the presence of TGF-β. Exposure to TGF-β decreased IL-4 and IFN-γ production while increasing IL-10, independently from Foxp3 expression. IL-17 was not detected. TGF-β induced high levels of Foxp3, but no suppressor activity, which emerged only in the presence of rapamycin. Peripheral and cord blood Foxp3+ iNKT cells suppressed the proliferation of conventional autologous and heterologous CD4+ T cells equally, in a cell contact-dependent and Ag-independent manner. Our findings demonstrate that human iNKT cells become suppressive in the presence of TGF-β plus rapamycin, thus adding a new facet to their complex functional properties.
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