PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Wang, Gui-Jun
AU  - Liu, Yuelong
AU  - Qin, Aijian
AU  - Shah, Spandan V.
AU  - Deng, Zhong-bin
AU  - Xiang, Xiaoyu
AU  - Cheng, Ziqiang
AU  - Liu, Cunren
AU  - Wang, Jianhua
AU  - Zhang, Liming
AU  - Grizzle, William E.
AU  - Zhang, Huang-Ge
TI  - Thymus Exosomes-Like Particles Induce Regulatory T Cells
AID  - 10.4049/jimmunol.181.8.5242
DP  - 2008 Oct 15
TA  - The Journal of Immunology
PG  - 5242--5248
VI  - 181
IP  - 8
4099  - http://www.jimmunol.org/content/181/8/5242.short
4100  - http://www.jimmunol.org/content/181/8/5242.full
SO  - J. Immunol.2008 Oct 15; 181
AB  - Exosomes released from different types of cells have been proposed to contribute to intercellular communication. We report that thymic exosome-like particles (ELPs) released from cells of the thymus can induce the development of Foxp3+ regulatory T (Treg) cells in the lung and liver. Thymic ELPs also induce the conversion of thymic CD4+CD25− T cells into Tregs. Tregs induced by thymic ELPs suppress the proliferation of CD4+CD25− T cells in vitro and in vivo. We further show that neutralization of TGF-β in ELPs partially reverses thymic ELP-mediated induction of CD4+Foxp3+ T cells in the lung and liver. This study demonstrates that thymic ELPs participate in the induction of Foxp3+ Tregs. Also, TGF-β of thymic ELPs might be required for the generation of Tregs in the peripheral tissues.