Regulatory T cells and immune computation

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Abstract
The role of Treg in immune regulation is the topic of this Viewpoint series in the European Journal of Immunology (EJI); the question to be discussed in this section is the effector function of Treg in immune regulation. In this manuscript, we take on the following three postulates outlined by Rolf Zinkernagel on the role of Treg in the control of immunity. First, the immune response is regulated primarily by the antigen and not by Treg. Second, immune non‐responsiveness results from the deletion of specific receptor‐bearing T cells. Third, there is no definitive proof of the existence of specialized Treg that know what is needed for an equilibrated immune response. Herein, we discuss data demonstrating the existence of specialized Treg and therefore arguing against the validity of the first two postulates. However, based on the reactive nature of the immune system, we agree with Rolf’s third postulate in that Treg cannot know ahead of time an ideal set‐point for immune homeostasis.See accompanying commentary: http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/eji.200738114