Harnessing CD8⁺CD28⁻ Regulatory T Cells as a Tool to Treat Autoimmune Disease

Abstract

T regulatory cell therapy presents a novel therapeutic strategy for patients with autoimmune diseases or who are undergoing transplantation. At present, the CD4+ Treg population has been extensively characterized, as a result of defined phenotypic and functional readouts. In this review article, we discuss the development and biology of CD8+ Tregs and their role in murine and human disease indications. A subset of CD8+ Tregs that lack the surface expression of CD28 (CD8+CD28− Treg) has proved efficacious in preclinical models. CD8+CD28− Tregs are present in healthy individuals, but their impaired functionality in disease renders them less effective in mediating immunosuppression. We primarily focus on harnessing CD8+ Treg cell therapy in the clinic to support current treatment for patients with autoimmune or inflammatory conditions.

Keywords

• CD8
• Treg
• autoimmunity
• immunoregulation