Browsing by Author "Kalekar, Lokesh"
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Item The Role of Anergy in Peripheral Regulatory T cell Generation(2016-06) Kalekar, LokeshThe role that anergy, an acquired state of T cell functional unresponsiveness, plays in natural peripheral tolerance remains unclear. In this study, we demonstrate that anergy is selectively induced in fetal antigen-specific maternal CD4+ T cells during pregnancy. A naturally occurring subpopulation of anergic polyclonal CD4+ T cells, enriched in self antigen-specific T cell receptors, is also observed in healthy hosts. Neuropilin-1 expression in anergic conventional CD4+ T cells is associated with thymic regulatory T cell (Treg cell)-related gene hypomethylation, and this correlates with their capacity to differentiate into Foxp3+ Treg cells that suppress immunopathology. Thus, our data suggest that not only is anergy induction important in preventing autoimmunity, but it also generates the precursors for peripheral Treg cell differentiation