Control of Immune Responses by Regulatory T Cells

Shimon Sakaguchi explains how regulatory T cells restrain immune responses and maintain tolerance to the body’s own tissues. He follows experimental evidence linking the removal of particular CD4 T-cell populations to autoimmune disease and the restoration of regulation to protection against excessive immune activity.

The lecture connects these mouse experiments with human immune dysregulation, including IPEX, and with the role of FOXP3 in regulatory T-cell biology. It develops the idea that active cellular suppression is a continuing requirement for immune balance, with implications for understanding autoimmunity and for manipulating immune responses therapeutically.