Regulatory T cells (Tregs) are a specialized subgroup of T-cell lymphocytes that is crucial for maintaining immune homeostasis and preventing excessive immune responses. Depending on their differentiation route, Tregs can be subdivided into thymically derived Tregs (tTregs) and peripherally induced Tregs (pTregs), which originate from conventional T cells after extrathymic differentiation at peripheral sites. Although the regulatory attributes of tTregs and pTregs partially overlap, their modes of action, protein expression profiles, and functional stability exhibit specific characteristics unique to each subset. Over the last few years, our knowledge of Treg differentiation, maturation, plasticity, and correlations between their phenotypes and functions has increased. Genetic and functional studies in patients with numeric and functional Treg deficiencies have contributed to our mechanistic understanding of immune dysregulation and autoimmune pathologies. This review provides an overview of our current knowledge of Treg biology, discusses monogenetic Treg pathologies and explores the role of Tregs in various other autoimmune disorders. Additionally, we discuss novel approaches that explore Tregs as targets or agents of innovative treatment options.

中文翻译：

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打破自身免疫的平衡：调节性 T 细胞是原因、治疗方法还是两者兼而有之？

调节性 T 细胞 (Treg) 是 T 细胞淋巴细胞的特殊亚群，对于维持免疫稳态和防止过度免疫反应至关重要。根据其分化途径，Tregs可以细分为胸腺衍生的Tregs（tTregs）和外周诱导的Tregs（pTregs），后者起源于常规T细胞在外周位点进行胸腺外分化后。尽管 tTreg 和 pTreg 的调控属性部分重叠，但它们的作用模式、蛋白质表达谱和功能稳定性表现出每个子集独有的特定特征。在过去的几年中，我们对 Treg 分化、成熟、可塑性及其表型和功能之间的相关性的了解有所增加。对数量和功能性 Treg 缺陷患者进行的遗传和功能研究有助于我们对免疫失调和自身免疫病理的机制理解。这篇综述概述了我们目前对 Treg 生物学的了解，讨论了单基因 Treg 病理学，并探讨了 Treg 在各种其他自身免疫性疾病中的作用。此外，我们还讨论了探索 Tregs 作为创新治疗方案的靶标或药物的新方法。