Phenotypic and functional characteristics of ATP-hydrolysing CD4+CD39+ FOXP3+ and CD4+CD39+FOXP3neg T-cell subsets in patients with cancer European Journal of Immunology, 05/16/2012

Schuler PJ et al. – Conventional CD4+CD39neg T cells incubated with IL–2 + TGF–β expanded to generate CD4+CD39+FOXP3+ regulatory T (Treg) cells, while CD4+CD39+FOXP3negCD25neg subset cells stimulated via the TCR and IL–2 converted to FOXP3+CTLA4+CD25+ TGF–β–expressing Treg cells. Among CD4+CD39+ Treg cells, the CD4+CD39+FOXP3negCD25neg subset serves as a reservoir of cells able to convert to Treg cells upon activation by environmental signals.