Muscle T_reg cells

T_reg cells are important regulators of immune responses. In Cell, Mathis and colleagues show that phenotypically and functionally distinct T_reg cells accumulate in injured skeletal muscle and contribute to repair processes. T_reg cells in injured muscle have a 'regulatory T cell' profile but distinctly express amphiregulin, which functions as a muscle-repair factor by enhancing the differentiation of precursors of muscle cells and dampens the expression of proteins associated with fibrosis. T_reg cells in muscle tissue undergo clonal expansion and have a T cell receptor repertoire distinct from that of splenic T_reg cells or conventional T cells. Intramuscular depletion of T_reg cells results in enhanced inflammatory responses in the injured muscle with impaired regeneration of muscle fibers. Along with data describing a role for T_reg cells in visceral fat, these observations support the idea that T_reg cells have homeostatic functions beyond the immune system.

Cell 155, 1282–1295 (2013)