IMMUNOLOGY2026™ Conference Recordings For Attendees-Regulatory T Cells Act as Tolerogenic Antigen Presenting Cells to Suppress Autoimmunity

Regulatory T Cells Act as Tolerogenic Antigen Presenting Cells to Suppress Autoimmunity

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Video Summary

Sarah Maddux described research showing that activated human and mouse Tregs can act as antigen-presenting cells. In human and transgenic mouse systems, Tregs expressed higher MHC class II and co-stimulatory molecules than conventional T cells and were especially effective at driving responder T-cell proliferation. Single-cell and bulk RNA-seq showed that Treg antigen presentation skews responders toward Th2 and Treg phenotypes, while CD8 T-cell APCs favored different responses. In an EAE mouse model of autoimmune disease, Tregs or CD4 T cells loaded with the disease antigen suppressed disease, reduced pathogenic T-cell expansion and cytokine production, and Treg APCs even induced FOXP3 expression in responder cells. The work suggests that T-cell antigen presentation, particularly by Tregs, can promote tolerance and may be useful for restoring immune balance in autoimmunity and potentially cancer.

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Date April 16, 2026 2:00 PM - 2:15 PM

Room 153AB

Session Antigen Presentation in Immunity, Pathology, and Tolerance

Speaker Sarah Maddux

Track Classical and Non-Classical Antigen Presenting Cells (APC)

Year 2026

Keywords

regulatory T cells

antigen presentation

MHC class II

immune tolerance

autoimmunity

April 16, 2026 2:00 PM - 2:15 PM

153AB

Antigen Presentation in Immunity, Pathology, and Tolerance

Sarah Maddux

Classical and Non-Classical Antigen Presenting Cells (APC)

2026