Evaluation of the Suppressive Capacity of Regulatory T Cells in Food Allergy Research

Regulatory T cells (Treg) exert a crucial role in the suppression of exacerbated T helper (Th) cell responses, including those of type 2 Th (Th2) cells, and in the maintenance of tolerance to environmental antigens and food allergens. The functional capacity of Tregs to suppress Th2 responses has been studied through activation and immunosuppression assays using cells from mice and humans. The immunosuppression assay is an essential in vitro tool that allows the evaluation of the Treg capacity to limit the proliferation and expansion of conventional T cells. This approach enables the determination of the suppressive ability of different Treg subsets. In this chapter, we describe a basic and well-established immunosuppression protocol for human and murine Treg that has been widely applied in food allergy research.