Allergen-specific CD4+CD25+FoxP3+ regulatory T cell (Allergen-specific Treg)

Allergen-specific CD4+CD25+FoxP3+ regulatory T cells (Tregs) are a specialized subset of T lymphocytes essential for maintaining peripheral tolerance to environmental antigens (Akdis & Akdis, 2014). These cells are defined by the expression of the transcription factor FoxP3, which acts as a master regulator of their suppressive function, and the high-affinity IL-2 receptor alpha chain, CD25 (Sakaguchi et al., 2008). In allergic individuals, there is often a functional impairment or a reduced frequency of these cells, leading to unchecked Th2-mediated immune responses against allergens (Palomares et al., 2017). The primary biological role of these Tregs is to suppress allergic inflammation by secreting inhibitory cytokines like Interleukin-10 (IL-10) and Transforming Growth Factor-beta (TGF-beta), and by inducing the production of non-inflammatory IgG4 antibodies (Jutel et al., 2003). Therapeutic strategies such as allergen immunotherapy (AIT) specifically aim to expand this cell population to achieve long-term clinical desensitization. Additionally, pharmacological agents like low-dose Interleukin-2 and certain adjuvants are being investigated for their ability to selectively enhance Treg activity in allergic and autoimmune contexts. Monitoring the induction and stability of these cells serves as a vital biomarker for evaluating the efficacy of immunotherapy in clinical settings.

Other names

Allergen-specific TregsAntigen-specific regulatory T cellsCD4+CD25+FoxP3+ T-regInduced regulatory T cell (iTreg)

Induction of peripheral tolerance through the suppression of Th2-mediated allergic inflammation and the promotion of allergen-specific IgG4 production.