Fig. 2: Plasticity of Treg to optimally suppress their target cell. | Communications Biology

Fig. 2: Plasticity of Treg to optimally suppress their target cell.

From: Regulatory T cells in axial spondyloarthritis

Fig. 2: Plasticity of Treg to optimally suppress their target cell.The alternative text for this image may have been generated using AI.

Regulatory T cells (Tregs), when activated to become an effector Treg, gain characteristics similar to the cell they are suppressing. The activation towards effector phenotype is dependent on the cytokine milieu stimulating the cell. Transforming growth factor beta (TGFβ) ensures Treg conversion while overstimulation from IL-12, IL-6, or IL-4 can lead to the conversion into T-helper 1 (TH1), T-helper 17 (TH17) and T-helper 2 (TH2) respectively. The conversion between T follicular regulatory (TFR) cells and T follicular helper cells (TFH) has not been demonstrated and is represented by a broken arrow. Suppression is displayed by the red arrow. IL interleukin, CXCR C-X-C motif chemokine receptor, Tbet T-box transcription factor 21, FOXP3 forkhead box P3, RORγt RAR-related orphan receptor gamma, GATA3 GATA binding protein 3, CCR C-C motif chemokine receptor 6, Bcl6 B-cell lymphoma 6 transcription factor. Figure created using BioRender. Tavasolian, F. (2026) https://BioRender.com/gp9pmm1.

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