STEM CELLS 2006;24: 386 -398

We demonstrate that CD161 is a highly up-regulated gene in human interleukin

STEM CELLS 2008;26:279 -289 Disclosure of potential conflicts of interest is found at the end of this article.

CD8 ؉ CD25 ؉ cells, which expressed high levels of Foxp3, glucocorticoid-induced tumor necrosis factor receptor (GITR), CCR8, tumor necrosis factor receptor 2 (TNFR2), and cytotoxic T-lymphocyteassociated antigen 4 (CTLA-4) mRNAs, were identified in the fibrous septa and medullary areas of human thymus. Activated CD8 ؉ CD25 ؉ thymocytes did not produce cytokines, but most of them expressed surface CTLA-4 and transforming growth factor ␤1 (TGF-␤1). Like CD4 ؉ CD25 ؉ , CD8 ؉ CD25 ؉ thymocytes suppressed the proliferation of autologous CD25-T cells via a contact-dependent mechanism. The suppressive activity of CD8 ؉ CD25 ؉ thymocytes was abrogated by a mixture of anti-CTLA-4 and anti-TGF-␤1 antibodies and it was mediated by their ability to inhibit the expression of the interleukin 2 receptor ␣ chain on target T cells. These results demonstrate the existence of a subset of human CD8 ؉ CD25 ؉ thymocytes sharing phenotype, functional features, and mechanism of action with CD4 ؉ CD25 ؉ T regulatory cells.

No abstract

Adipose tissue is a dynamic endocrine organ with a central role in metabolism regulation. Functional differences in adipose tissue seem associated with the regional distribution of fat depots, in particular in subcutaneous and visceral omental pads. Here, we report for the first time the isolation of human adipose-derived adult stem cells from visceral omental and subcutaneous fat (V-ASCs and S-ASCs, respectively) from the same subject. Immunophenotyping shows that plastic culturing selects homogeneous cell populations of V-ASCs and S-ASCs from the corresponding stromal vascular fractions (SVFs), sharing typical markers of mesenchymal stem cells. Electron microscopy and electrophysiological and real-time RT-PCR analyses confirm the mesenchymal stem nature of both V-ASCs and S-ASCs, while no significant differences in a limited pattern of cytokine/chemokine expression can be detected. Similar to S-ASCs, V-ASCs can differentiate in vitro toward adipogenic, osteogenic, chondrogenic, muscular, and neuronal lineages, as demonstrated by histochemical, immunofluorescence, real-time RT-PCR, and electrophysiological analyses, suggesting the multipotency of such adult stem cells. Our data demonstrate that both visceral and subcutaneous adipose tissues are a source of pluripotent stem cells with multigermline potential. However, the visceral rather than the subcutaneous ASC could represent a more appropriate in vitro cell model for investigating the molecular mechanisms implicated in the pathophysiology of metabolic disorders such as obesity.

These data suggest that the allergen-driven enhancement of IL-10- and IFN-gamma-producing T cells precedes and associates with SLIT-induced down-regulation of specific IgE, thus providing a rationale to explain the clinical benefit of SLIT in allergic patients.

T-cell clones generated from both CD4 ؉ CD25 ؉ and CD8 ؉ CD25 ؉ human thymocytes were assessed for their ability to suppress the proliferative response to allogeneic stimulation of type 1 T-helper (Th1) or type 2 T-helper (Th2) clones derived from autologous CD4 ؉ CD25 ؊ thymocytes. Both CD4 ؉ and CD8 ؉ Tregulatory (