Despite considerable interest in the modulation of tumor-associated Foxp3+ regulatory T cells (Tregs) for therapeutic benefit, little is known about the developmental origins of these cells and the nature of the antigens that they recognize. Here, we identified an endogenous population of antigen-specific Tregs (termed “MJ23” Tregs) found recurrently enriched in the tumors of mice with oncogene-driven prostate cancer. MJ23 Tregs were not reactive to a tumor-specific antigen, but instead recognized a prostate-associated antigen that was present in tumor-free mice. MJ23 Tregs underwent Aire-dependent thymic development in both male and female mice. Thus Aire-mediated expression of peripheral tissue antigens drives the thymic development of a subset of organ-specific Tregs, which are likely co-opted by tumors developing within the associated organ.

SUMMARY The promiscuous expression of tissue-restricted antigens in the thymus, driven in part by Autoimmune Regulator (Aire), is critical for the protection of peripheral tissues from autoimmune attack. Aire-dependent processes are thought to promote both clonal deletion and the development of Foxp3+ regulatory T (Treg) cells, suggesting that autoimmunity associated with Aire deficiency results from two failed tolerance mechanisms. Here, examination of autoimmune lesions in Aire−/− mice revealed an unexpected third possibility. We found that the predominant conventional T cell clonotypes infiltrating target lesions express antigen receptors that were preferentially expressed by Foxp3+ Treg cells in Aire+/+ mice. Thus, Aire enforces immune tolerance by ensuring that distinct autoreactive T cell specificities differentiate into the Treg cell lineage; dysregulation of this process results in the diversion of Treg cell-biased clonotypes into pathogenic conventional T cells.

SUMMARY Whereas antigen recognition mediated by the T cell receptor (TCR) influences many facets of Foxp3+ regulatory T (Treg) cell biology, including development and function, the cell types that present antigen to Treg cells in vivo remain largely undefined. By tracking a clonal population of Aire-dependent, prostate-specific Treg cells in mice, we demonstrated an essential role for dendritic cells (DCs) in regulating organ-specific Treg cell biology. We have shown that the thymic development of prostate-specific Treg cells required antigen presentation by DCs. Moreover, Batf3-dependent CD8α+ DCs were dispensable for the development of this clonotype and had negligible impact on the polyclonal Treg cell repertoire. In the periphery, CCR7-dependent migratory DCs coordinated the activation of organ-specific Treg cells in the prostate-draining lymph nodes. Our results demonstrate that the development and peripheral regulation of organ-specific Treg cells are dependent on antigen presentation by DCs, implicating DCs as key mediators of organ-specific immune tolerance.

Due to the critical role of Foxp3+ regulatory T cells (Tregs) in the regulation of immunity and the enrichment of Tregs within many human tumors, a number of emerging therapeutic strategies for the treatment of cancer involve the depletion or modulation of Tregs, with the aim of eliciting enhanced anti-tumor immune responses. Here, we review recent advances in understanding of the fundamental biology of Tregs, and discuss the implications of these findings for current models of tumor-associated Treg biology. In particular, we discuss the context-dependent functional diversity of Tregs, the developmental origins of these cells, and the nature of the antigens that they recognize within the tumor environment. In addition, we highlight critical areas of focus for future research.

SummaryTumour necrosis factor (TNF) is a major pro-inflammatory cytokine involved in multiple inflammatory diseases. The detrimental activity of TNF can be blocked by various antagonists, and commercial therapeutics based upon this principle have been We demonstrate that ELP fusion to the TNF-V H H enhances accumulation of the fusion protein during biomanufacturing in transgenic tobacco plants. With this study, we show for the first time that this plant-derived anti-human TNF-V H H antibody was biologically active in vivo. Therefore, therapeutic application of TNF-V H H-ELP fusion protein was tested in humanized TNF mice and was shown to be effective in preventing death caused by septic shock. The in vivo persistence of the ELPylated antibody was 24 fold longer than that of non-ELPylated TNF-V H H.