umbilical cord blood regulatory T cells

Umbilical cord blood regulatory T cells (UCB-Tregs or CB-Tregs) are a cell therapy product consisting of ex vivo expanded or isolated CD4+CD25+CD127−/lo FOXP3+ regulatory T lymphocytes derived from human umbilical cord blood. These cells play a central role in immune regulation by suppressing excessive immune responses and maintaining self-tolerance. Compared to adult peripheral blood-derived Tregs, UCB-derived Tregs are more naïve, have a broader and more diverse T cell receptor repertoire, exhibit greater phenotypic homogeneity, and demonstrate superior suppressive function in preclinical models. They also show increased resistance to pro-inflammatory conversion and maintain their suppressive phenotype under inflammatory conditions[1][4][8]. UCB-Treg therapies are being developed primarily for the prevention of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) following allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation as well as for autoimmune diseases such as type 1 diabetes and bone marrow failure syndromes[2][6][8]. Clinical trials have demonstrated safety and feasibility of infusing ex vivo expanded UCB-Tregs into patients with these conditions[6][8]. The mechanism of action is immunomodulation via suppression of effector conventional T cell proliferation through cytokine secretion (e.g., IL-10), direct cell-cell contact inhibition, metabolic disruption (e.g., IL-2 consumption), and modulation of antigen-presenting cells.

Other names

umbilical cord blood-derived regulatory T cellsUCB-TregsCB-Tregs