Faculty Opinions recommendation of Low-dose interleukin-2 treatment selectively modulates CD4(+) T cell subsets in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.
Using interleukin (IL)-2 to preferentially expand regulatory T (Treg) cells constitutes an area of intense focus related to autoimmune disease. For example, providing low doses of IL-2 to patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) can increase the percentage of circulating Treg cells and may prove clinically beneficial. This study in which patients with SLE were given low-dose IL-2 reported an increase in the number of Treg cells, which was associated with an apparent decrease in a clinical SLE disease index, suggesting that such an approach may warrant evaluation in future clinical trials. This Recommendation is of an article referenced in an F1000 Faculty Review also written by Rosanne Spolski, Daniel Gromer, and Warren J. Leonard.