Murine regulatory T cells stimulated by death receptor 3 agonistic antibody

CD4+Foxp3+ regulatory T cells (Treg) are a subpopulation of T cells, which regulate the immune system and enhance immune tolerance after transplantation. Donor-derived Treg prevent the development of lethal acute graft and host disease (GVHD) in murine models of allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation. It was reported that a single treatment of the agonistic antibody to Death receptor 3 (DR3) in donor mice resulted in the expansion of donor derived Treg and prevented acute GVHD, although the precise role of DR3 signaling in GVHD has not been elucidated. We analyzed the gene expression profile, immune phenotype, and function of DR3-activated Treg in a murine model of allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation. CD4+Foxp3+ Treg were sorted from the mice stimulated with anti-DR3 or control antibody using fluorescence-activated cell sorter for RNA extraction and hybridization on Affymetrix microarrays.