Molecular control of regulatory T cell development and function

Treg cells expressing the transcription factor Foxp3 are essential for immunological tolerance and homeostasis. Recent genome-wide studies have revealed that Foxp3(+) natural Treg cells possess a number of unique transcriptional and epigenetic features, which appear to be acquired along the course of Treg cell development and maintained throughout their lifespan. These studies also provide novel insights into how genomic variations contribute to genetic susceptibility to human autoimmune diseases by affecting Treg cell development and function.