Forkhead box P3 (FOXP3)-specific cytotoxic CD8+ T cells are present among human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), especially in cancer patients. Such T lymphocytes are able not only to specifically recognize dendritic cells (DCs) that have been exposed to recombinant FOXP3 and regulatory T cells, but also to kill FOXP3+ malignant T cells. The natural occurrence of FOXP3-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes among human PBMCs suggests a general role for these cells in the complex network of immune regulation.
Keywords: CTL; HLA class I restricted T-cell epitope; Tregs; antigen; foxp3.