26/04/2026
🌍 April 29th is recognized globally for marking several events and historical milestones, most notably within the International Day of Immunology (DoI).
This year’s focus is on regulatory T cells (Tregs) - key players that suppress excessive immune responses, maintain self-tolerance, and support tissue repair.
The Romanian Society of Immunology 🇷🇴 is marking 2026 by reflecting on the of Tregs discovery, their molecular , and their growing clinical .
➡️ Regulatory T lymphocytes (Tregs) trace their origins to the concept of “suppressor T cells,” first proposed by Gershon and colleagues in the early 1970s. Their work demonstrated that certain T cell populations can regulate the activity of other immune cells and may contribute to tolerance toward specific antigens, including those associated with viruses or tumors.
➡️ The molecular understanding of Tregs has evolved significantly over time. In 1995, the identification of surface markers CD4+CD25+ enabled the characterization of this cell population, revealing their capacity to prevent autoimmune disease in murine models and regulate T cell proliferation.
➡️ A major breakthrough followed in 2003 with the identification of the intracellular transcription factor FoxP3 as a defining marker of Tregs. Although intracellular staining limits the ability to isolate viable cells, the observed inverse correlation between FoxP3 and CD127 led to the establishment of CD4+CD25+ CD127^low as the gold standard phenotype for isolating live Tregs.
🥇 In recognition of these groundbreaking contributions, the 2025 Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded to Shimon Sakaguchi, Fred Ramsdell, and Mary Brunkow for their pioneering work in the discovery and characterization of regulatory T cells.
The story of Tregs reflects the evolution of immunology itself - driven by curiosity, refined by science, and translated into clinical impact, as highlighted by the DoI and global immunology campaigns.
Figure source: https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/medicine/2025/popular-information/
