Regulatory T cells (Tregs) have been shown to be critical in the balance between
autoimmunity and tolerance and have been implicated in several human autoimmune
diseases. However, the small number of Tregs in peripheral blood limits their therapeutic
potential. Therefore, we developed a protocol that would allow for the expansion of Tregs
while retaining their suppressive activity. We isolated CD4+ CD25 hi cells from human
peripheral blood and expanded them in vitro in the presence of anti-CD3 and anti-CD28 …