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Emerging patterns of regulatory T cell function in tuberculosis
  • Asma Ahmed,
  • Annapurna Vyakarnam
Asma Ahmed
Indian Institute of Science

Corresponding Author:asma.127@gmail.com

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Annapurna Vyakarnam
Indian Institute of Science
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Abstract

Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the top 10 causes of mortality worldwide from a single infectious agent and has significant implications for global health. In 2018, 1.5 million people died from TB worldwide and 440,000 of those were from India. The WHO End-TB strategy aims to reduce TB deaths by 95% and new TB cases by 90% by 2035, with a call for more basic research on TB pathogenesis and immunity. A major hurdle in the development of effective TB vaccines and therapies is the absence of defined immune-correlates of protection. In this context, the role of regulatory T cells (Treg), which are essential for maintaining immune homeostasis, is even less understood. This review aims to address this knowledge gap by providing an overview of the emerging patterns of Treg function in TB. The review also provides a comprehensive critical analysis of the key features of Treg cells in TB; highlights the importance of a balanced immune response as being important in TB and discusses the importance of probing not just Treg frequency but also qualitative aspects of Treg function as part of a comprehensive search for novel TB treatments.
21 Apr 2020Submitted to Clinical & Experimental Immunology
22 Apr 2020Submission Checks Completed
22 Apr 2020Assigned to Editor
03 May 2020Reviewer(s) Assigned
22 May 2020Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
22 May 2020Editorial Decision: Revise Minor
12 Jun 20201st Revision Received
17 Jun 2020Reviewer(s) Assigned
17 Jun 2020Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
22 Jun 2020Editorial Decision: Accept