FOXP3 is playing an essential role for T regulatory cells and is involved in the molecular mechanisms controlling immune tolerance. Although the biological relevance of this transcription factor is well documented, the pathways responsible for its induction are still unclear. The current study reveals structure and function of the human FOXP3 promoter, revealing essential molecular mechanisms o...

Natural regulatory T cells (T(reg)) represent a distinct lineage of T lymphocytes committed to suppressive functions, and expression of the transcription factor Foxp3 is thought to identify this lineage specifically. Here we report that, whereas the majority of natural CD4(+)Foxp3(+) T cells maintain stable Foxp3 expression after adoptive transfer to lymphopenic or lymphoreplete recipients, a m...

The transcription factor FOXP3 is essential for the formation and function of regulatory T cells (Tregs), and Tregs are essential for maintaining immune homeostasis and tolerance. This is demonstrated by a lethal autoimmune defect in mice lacking Foxp3 and in immunodysregulation polyendocrinopathy enteropathy X-linked syndrome patients. However, little is known about the molecular basis of huma...

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the potential influence of Foxp3 polymorphism on preeclampsia (PE) susceptibility, we conducted a case-control study in Han Chinese women. METHODS Foxp3 genotyping was determined by polymerase chain reaction with sequence-specific primers (PCR-SSP) in 156 PE patients and 252 age-frequency matched controls. Immunohistochemical staining was used to detect the expression of...

CD4(+)CD25(+)Foxp3(+) regulatory T cells (Treg) that specialize in the suppression of immune responses might be critically involved in the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases. Recent studies have described increased proportions of CD4(+)Foxp3(+) T cells that lacked expression of CD25 in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients but the suppressive capacity of these cells has not been analyzed...

Compelling evidence suggests that the transcription factor Foxp3 acts as a master switch governing the development and function of CD4(+) regulatory T cells (Tregs). However, whether transcriptional control of Foxp3 expression itself contributes to the development of a stable Treg lineage has thus far not been investigated. We here identified an evolutionarily conserved region within the foxp3 ...

Candida albicans remains the fungus most frequently associated with nosocomial bloodstream infection. In disseminated candidiasis, the role of Foxp3(+) regulatory T (Treg) cells remains largely unexplored. Our aims were to characterize Foxp3(+) Treg-cell activation in a murine intravenous challenge model of disseminated C. albicans infection, and determine the contribution to disease. Flow cyto...

The transcription factor FOXP3 plays an essential role in regulatory T cell development and function. In addition, it has recently been identified as a tumor suppressor in different cancers. Here, we report that FOXP3 is expressed in normal brain but strongly down-regulated in glioblastoma (GB) and in corresponding GB stem-like cells growing in culture as neurospheres (GB-NS), as evaluated by r...