
Second in a two-part series on transplant tolerance. (See part one.)
Our immune system has two major kinds of T cells. T helper cells, also known as effector T cells, tend to rev up our immune responses, while T regulatory cells tend to suppress or downregulate them. Last week we reported that bolstering populations of T regulatory cells might help people tolerate organ transplants better. A new study turned its focus to T helper cells, and found that an imbalance of these cells causes an exaggerated immune response that may also contribute to transplant rejection.
The study also showed, in mice and in human cells in a dish, that the immune imbalance can be potentially reversed pharmacologically. Findings were published yesterday in the Journal of Clinical Investigation. …