CD39-deficient T reg cells fail to suppress CD4+ T cells, resulting in skin graft rejection (squares).

Regulatory T (T reg) cells have a new trademark and a new mode of action to go with it. While searching for a mysterious mechanism of T cell suppression, Deaglio et al. (page 1257) have also discovered a new and improved way to identify and purify T reg cells.

Some T reg cells suppress effector T cells by secreting inhibitory cytokines. But this suppression can continue even when cytokine activity is blocked, suggesting that other inhibitory mechanisms exist. Getting to the bottom of this mystery has been difficult due to the lack of cell surface markers that can be used to isolate pure populations of T reg cells for functional assays. CD25, a T reg cell surface receptor, is also expressed on activated T cells. Foxp3,...

The Rockefeller University Press
2007
The Rockefeller University Press
2007
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