Recent Advances on T Regulatory Cells

Active suppression of tumour-reactive T cells can limit both immune surveillance and immunotherapy. Development of cancer results into the generation of immune suppressive network to inhibit anti-tumour activity and evade the host’s immune response, which eventually facilitates tumour progression. Emerging evidence indicates that immunosuppressive cells; T regulatory cells (Tregs) may be largely responsible for inhibiting host T-cell activity against tumour-associated antigens and impair the effectiveness of anticancer immunotherapeutic approaches. Reducing the deleterious effects of Treg may increase the success of various immunotherapeutic modalities in cancer. However, an increase in our understanding of the local tumour microenvironment and the exact mechanisms of Treg induction and/or expansion in peripheral blood and tumour microenvironment of cancer patients should provide opportunities to test different treatments to target these immunosuppressive cells and alter the balance in favor of generating effective anti-tumour immune responses. The purpose of this study is to provide information about the phenotype, role and the function of Tregs and the mechanisms of their expansion in cancer.