Discovery of regulatory T cells programmed to suppress an immune response
A method to treat an autoimmune disease is provided. The method involves administration of interleukin-15 receptor (IL-15R) agonists in an amount effective to ameliorate a symptom of the autoimmune disease. The invention also involves a method to treat an autoimmune disease by ex-vivo expansion of CD44+CD122+Kir+ CD8+ Treg cells and administration of the CD44+CD122+Kir+ CD8+ Treg cells. Compositions comprising CD44+CD122+Kir+ CD8+ Treg cells are also provided. Methods for stimulating an immune response to an antigen are also provided.
1. A method for treating an autoimmune disease in a subject comprising:
a. isolating and enriching T cells from the subject in need of such treatment to provide a T cell population, wherein at least 10% of the T cell population are CD44+CD122+Kir+CD8αβ+ Treg cells; and
b. administering the T cell population containing the at least 10% CD44+CD122+Kir+CD8αβ+ Treg cells to the subject in an amount effective to ameliorate a symptom of the autoimmune disease.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least 20% of the isolated and enriched T cells are CD44+CD122+Kir+CD8αβ+ Treg cells.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least 50% of the isolated and enriched T cells are CD44+CD122+Kir+CD8αβ+ Treg cells.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least 90% of the isolated and enriched T cells are CD44+CD122+Kir+CD8αβ+ Treg cells.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the CD44+CD122+Kir+CD8αβ+ Treg cells are Helios+.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the CD44+CD122+Kir+CD8αβ+ Treg cells are administered by intravenous injection.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the isolated and enriched cells are enriched by depleting a population of non-CD44+CD122+Kir+CD8αβ+ Treg cells.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the isolated and enriched cells are enriched by sorting for CD44+CD122+Kir+CD8αβ+ Treg cells.