Regulatory T cells (Tregs) are essential for maintaining immune homeostasis, with critical roles in preventing aberrant immune responses that occur in autoimmune diseases and chronic inflammation. Conversely, the abundance of Tregs in cancer is associated with impaired anti-tumour immunity, and tumour immune evasion. Recent work demonstrates that CD137, a well-known costimulatory molecule for T cells, is highly expressed on Tregs in pathological conditions, while its expression is minimal or negligible on peripheral Tregs. The expression of CD137 marks Tregs with potent immunosuppressive phenotype that foster cancer progression and are protective against certain autoimmune diseases. Hence CD137 has emerged as a marker for Tregs. However, several important questions still remain regarding the expression and function of CD137 in Tregs. Here, we provide an overview of our current knowledge of Treg mechanisms of action, with a focus on the role of CD137 in modulating Treg activity. We also explore the implications of CD137+ Tregs in both cancer and autoimmune diseases, emphasizing the significance of targeting these cells for therapeutic intervention in these conditions.

中文翻译：

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癌症和自身免疫性疾病中表达 CD137 的调节性 T 细胞。


调节性 T 细胞 （Treg） 对于维持免疫稳态至关重要，在防止自身免疫性疾病和慢性炎症中发生的异常免疫反应方面发挥着关键作用。相反，癌症中 Tregs 的丰度与抗肿瘤免疫受损和肿瘤免疫逃避有关。最近的研究表明，CD137 是一种众所周知的 T 细胞共刺激分子，在病理条件下在 Tregs 上高度表达，而其在外周 Tregs 上的表达微乎其微或可以忽略不计。CD137 的表达标志着 Tregs 具有有效的免疫抑制表型，可促进癌症进展并对某些自身免疫性疾病具有保护作用。因此，CD137 已成为 Tregs 的标志物。然而，关于 CD137 在 Tregs 中的表达和功能仍然存在几个重要问题。在这里，我们概述了我们目前对 Treg 作用机制的了解，重点是 CD137 在调节 Treg 活性中的作用。我们还探讨了 CD137+ Tregs 在癌症和自身免疫性疾病中的影响，强调了在这些疾病中靶向这些细胞进行治疗干预的重要性。