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bioRxiv · 10.1101/2025.08.05.667656

The quest continues: Human CD4+ CD16+ CD56+ "exTreg" resemble NKT cells instead

Mutha, J.·Konga, M.·Sprang, M.·Mayer, J. U.·Schlenner, S. M.
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Abstract

Regulatory T cells are essential for immune tolerance, but their loss of function under inflammatory conditions in murine models signify a risk factor for Treg-based therapies. Recently CD4+ CD56+ CD16+ T cells were suggested to resemble such ex-Treg in human PBMC. Here, we re-evaluate the identity of the CD4+ CD56+ CD16+ population at a phenotypic and transcriptomic level using multiparametric flow cytometry on human PBMC and CITE-seq analysis to demonstrate that the CD4+ CD56+ CD16+ cells mostly constitute NKT cells instead. Further, we evaluated the stability of human Treg under lineage-challenging conditions and observe robust lineage stability in vitro. Finally, we also explore the potential of Tr17 induction using TGF-{beta} and IL-6, a possible therapeutic strategy for Treg ex vivo expansion-based therapies. Together, we conclude that human exTreg remain to be described and instead human Treg present as remarkably stable, further promoting Treg-based adoptive transfer therapies.

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Mutha, J., Konga, M., Sprang, M., Mayer, J. U., Schlenner, S. M.. 2025-08-07. The quest continues: Human CD4+ CD16+ CD56+ "exTreg" resemble NKT cells instead. https://doi.org/10.1101/2025.08.05.667656

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