Regulatory T cells suppress Th17 cell Ca <sup>2+</sup> signaling in the spinal cord during murine autoimmune neuroinflammation
Shivashankar Othy, Amit Jairaman, Joseph L. Dynes, Hui Dong, Cornelia Tune, Andriy V. Yeromin, Angel Zavala, Chijioke Akunwafo, Fangyi Chen, Ian Parker, Michael D. Cahalan
Abstract
Significance Regulatory T (Treg) cells mediate immune homeostasis, aid in tissue repair, and resolve inflammation in numerous autoimmune diseases; however, little is known about the role of Treg cell motility dynamics in immunoregulation. We imaged the organization and motility patterns of endogenous Treg cells in the spinal cord together with pathogenic Th17 cells in a mouse model of neuroinflammation. Treg cells exhibit repetitive-scanning motility, which may be important in suppressing Th17 cell effector functions by inhibition of Ca 2+ signaling and by limiting their access to APCs, thus limiting their reactivation in the spinal cord. These findings will help to understand how Treg cells prevent autoimmunity and dampen immune responses, and how autoimmune diseases can be effectively targeted using Treg-based cellular therapies.