Adaptive islet-specific regulatory CD4 T cells control autoimmune diabetes and mediate the disappearance of pathogenic Th1 cells in vivo.

Adaptive regulatory T cells that develop from naive CD4 cells in response to exposure to Ag can act as immunotherapeutic agents to control immune responses. We show that effectors generated from murine islet-specific CD4 cells by TCR stimulation with IL-2 and TGF-beta1 have potent suppressive activity. They prevent spontaneous development of type 1 diabetes in NOD mice and inhibit development of pancreatic infiltrates and disease onset orchestrated by Th1 effectors.