Treg: Regulatory T Cells and T Helper Cells

Antigen-specific Type 1 Treg cells

The technology developed by TxCell uses the immuno-modulatory properties of peripheral blood antigen-specific Type 1 regulatory T cells (Ag-Treg). This cell population has been co-discovered by the TxCell founder scientist in 1997 (link).

Type 1 Treg cells are naturally occurring blood cells specialized to induce tolerance against environmental foreign antigens taken up by inhalation, ingestion or contact and certain tissue specific self-antigens.

Type 1 Treg cells have been shown to prevent autoimmune and chronic inflammatory diseases in different experimental animal models such as colitis, arthritis, multiple sclerosis.

Type 1 Treg cells home preferentially to the sites of injury and control inflammation by:

(1) secreting natural immunosuppressive molecules such as Interleukin-10 (IL-10) and Interleukin-13 (IL-13),

(2) initiating cell-cell contact mediated suppression through surface molecules such as CTLA-4 and GITR and

(3) killing of myeloid cells via a Perforin/Granzyme B pathway.

These multiple mechanisms of action lead to inhibition of pro-inflammatory cell activation, proliferation and cytokine production (Figure 1).

Figure 1. Peripheral blood Type 1 Treg cells