Regulatory T cells — cells that maintain self-tolerance and inhibit inappropriate immune responses in vivo — come in many guises, and many diseases that are characterized by a dysregulated immune response, including asthma and autoimmunity, are associated with regulatory T-cell defects.

Two articles in this issue focus on different approaches to exploit regulatory T cells as a therapy. On page 271, Catherine Hawrylowicz and Anne O'Garra review the evidence that current therapeutic approaches for the treatment of some allergic diseases might function by inducing interleukin-10 (IL-10)-secreting regulatory T-cell populations. They also outline approaches that could be used in the future to improve the generation of allergen-specific IL-10-secreting regulatory T cells, with the aim of long-term alleviation of disease symptoms. By contrast, Jeffrey Bluestone (page 343) discusses the therapeutic potential of expanding the naturally occurring CD4+CD25+ regulatory T-cell population, either polyclonally or in an antigen-specific manner, for the treatment of graft-versus-host disease and autoimmunity. In his opinion, such treatments will soon be introduced.

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