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Peer-reviewedCC BYSignal Transduction and Targeted Therapy

Regulatory T cells in cancer and inflammation

  • Haoyi Yang1,2,3,4
  • Haitao Zhang1,5
  • Ni Xia6,7,8,9
  • Xiang Cheng10,11,12,13
13 affiliations
  1. 1Department of Cardiology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
  2. 2Hubei Key Laboratory of Biological Targeted Therapy, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
  3. 3Hubei Provincial Engineering Research Center of Immunological Diagnosis and Therapy for Cardiovascular Diseases, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
  4. 4Key Laboratory of Biological Targeted Therapy (Huazhong University of Science and Technology), Ministry of Education, Wuhan, Hubei, China
  5. 5Department of Pathology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
  6. 6Department of Cardiology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China. [email protected]
  7. 7Hubei Key Laboratory of Biological Targeted Therapy, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China. [email protected]
  8. 8Hubei Provincial Engineering Research Center of Immunological Diagnosis and Therapy for Cardiovascular Diseases, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China. [email protected]
  9. 9Key Laboratory of Biological Targeted Therapy (Huazhong University of Science and Technology), Ministry of Education, Wuhan, Hubei, China. [email protected]
  10. 10Department of Cardiology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China. [email protected]
  11. 11Hubei Key Laboratory of Biological Targeted Therapy, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China. [email protected]
  12. 12Hubei Provincial Engineering Research Center of Immunological Diagnosis and Therapy for Cardiovascular Diseases, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China. [email protected]
  13. 13Key Laboratory of Biological Targeted Therapy (Huazhong University of Science and Technology), Ministry of Education, Wuhan, Hubei, China. [email protected]
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Abstract

As immunoregulatory cells, regulatory T cells (Tregs) play pivotal roles in maintaining immune tolerance and preventing autoimmunity. However, Tregs exhibit distinct functions across different diseases. In cancer, Tregs are most likely to suppress antitumor immune responses and promote tumor immune evasion, whereas in inflammatory diseases, functionally competent Tregs mitigate excessive immune activation and facilitate tissue repair. Notably, dysfunctional Tregs lead to persistent inflammation and progression to chronic disease. Therefore, targeting Tregs has emerged as an attractive immunotherapeutic strategy for both cancer and inflammatory disorders. Recent studies have shown that Tregs exhibit instability and plasticity under specific conditions, allowing them to shift between functional and dysfunctional states. A comprehensive understanding of the dynamic changes in Tregs and their regulatory mechanisms in diverse pathological contexts is highly important. In this review, we summarize the dual roles of Tregs in cancer and various inflammatory diseases. We explore the signaling pathways and molecular mechanisms underlying their biological characteristics, with a particular focus on how microenvironmental cues shape Treg behavior. Additionally, we discuss recent advances in Treg-targeted therapies in these disease contexts. Overall, this review greatly advances our understanding of the roles of Tregs in cancer and inflammation and helps inform the development of more precise and effective therapeutic strategies.

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Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@article{yang2026regulatory,
  title = {{Regulatory T cells in cancer and inflammation}},
  author = {Haoyi Yang and Haitao Zhang and Ni Xia and Xiang Cheng},
  journal = {Signal Transduction and Targeted Therapy},
  year = {2026},
  month = jun,
  doi = {10.1038/s41392-026-02584-w},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1038/s41392-026-02584-w},
  note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY  - JOUR
TI  - Regulatory T cells in cancer and inflammation
AU  - Haoyi Yang
AU  - Haitao Zhang
AU  - Ni Xia
AU  - Xiang Cheng
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/06/01
JO  - Signal Transduction and Targeted Therapy
DO  - 10.1038/s41392-026-02584-w
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1038/s41392-026-02584-w
AB  - As immunoregulatory cells, regulatory T cells (Tregs) play pivotal roles in maintaining immune tolerance and preventing autoimmunity. However, Tregs exhibit distinct functions across different diseases. In cancer, Tregs are most likely to suppress antitumor immune responses and promote tumor immune evasion, whereas in inflammatory diseases, functionally competent Tregs mitigate excessive immune activation and facilitate tissue repair. Notably, dysfunctional Tregs lead to persistent inflammation and progression to chronic disease. Therefore, targeting Tregs has emerged as an attractive immunotherapeutic strategy for both cancer and inflammatory disorders. Recent studies have shown that Tregs exhibit instability and plasticity under specific conditions, allowing them to shift between functional and dysfunctional states. A comprehensive understanding of the dynamic changes in Tregs and their regulatory mechanisms in diverse pathological contexts is highly important. In this review, we summarize the dual roles of Tregs in cancer and various inflammatory diseases. We explore the signaling pathways and molecular mechanisms underlying their biological characteristics, with a particular focus on how microenvironmental cues shape Treg behavior. Additionally, we discuss recent advances in Treg-targeted therapies in these disease contexts. Overall, this review greatly advances our understanding of the roles of Tregs in cancer and inflammation and helps inform the development of more precise and effective therapeutic strategies.
SN  - 2059-3635
SN  - 2095-9907
ER  -