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Abstract

Regulatory T cells are crucial in controlling various functions of effector T cells during experimental autoimmune
encephalomyelitis. While regulatory T cells are reported to exert their immunomodulatory effects in the peripheral
immune organs, their role within the central nervous system (CNS) during experimental autoimmune
encephalomyelitis is unclear. Here, by combining a selectively timed regulatory T cells depletion with 2-photon
microscopy, we report that regulatory T cells exercise their dynamic control over effector T cells in the CNS. Acute
depletion of regulatory T cells exacerbated experimental aut
oimmune encephalomyelitis sev
erity which was accompanied
by increased pro-inflammatory cytokine production and prolifer
ation of effector T cells. Intravital microscopy revealed that,
in the absence of regulatory T cells, the velocity of effector T cells was decreased with simultaneous increase in
the proportion of stationary phase cells in the CNS. Based on these data, we conclude that regulatory T cells mediate
recovery from experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis by controlling cytokine production, proliferation and
motility of effector T cells in the CNS.