T-regulatory cells: are we re-discovering T suppressors?

Abstract

Regulatory T cells are shown to originate form the thymus and their role is to maintain self-tolerance to intra-thymic as well as extra-thymic self-antigens. Their mode of action, using in vivo and in vitro systems, has led to different conclusions as to the need of cell-cell interactions or regulation upon suppressive cytokines. The more we study regulatory T cells the more we find similarities to the old notion of the suppressor T cell network. The limited knowledge in molecular technology in the early 70s and 80s discouraged investigators to further scrutinize the issue and the terms T suppressors and contra-suppressors that were coined back then have been forgotten over the years. It is now time to remember the work of these investigators and attempt to explain their findings using the current knowledge and technology.