Background
In type 1 diabetes (T1D), a prototypic autoimmune disease, effector T cells destroy beta cells. Normally, CD4(+)CD25(+high), or natural regulatory T cells (Tregs), counter this assault. In autoimmunity, the failure to suppress CD4(+)CD25(low) T cells is important for disease development. However, both Treg dysfunction and hyperactive responder T-cell proliferation contribute to disease.
Significance
The in vitro dual suppression assays proposed here could highlight the impaired sensitivity of certain responder T cells to the suppressive effect of Tregs in human autoimmune diseases.