Fig. 5From: The TNF/TNFR2 signaling pathway is a key regulatory factor in endothelial progenitor cell immunosuppressive effectECFCs immunosuppressive effect is entirely abolished when TNFR2 is blocked on ECFCs. a This schematic depicts our hypothesis based on the direct involvement of TNFα/TNFR2 axis in immunomodulatory functions observed by ECFCs. First, we have interfered with this signaling pathway by neutralizing TNFR2 receptor expressed on ECFCs using anti-TNFR2 monoclonal anti-body. In this setting activated WT T cells are producing TNFα but no TNFR2 receptor is available on ECFCs. Anti-CD3/CD28 activated CFSE+CD3+CD25− effector WT T cells were co-cultured with b HAECs, c APB-ECFCs and d CB-ECFCs in 6 different ECs/T cells ratios (n = 8). Proliferation of CD4+ CD25− T cells (left graphs) and CD8+ CD25− T cells (right graphs) was measured by flow cytometry. The first bar represents the unstimulated T cells alone (Control-stim, n = 8), the second bar represents the anti-CD3/CD28 stimulated T cells alone in RPMI medium (Control+stim (RPMI), n = 8), the third bar represents the stimulated T cells alone in 50% RPMI+ 50% EGM2 media (Cont+stim (RPMI+EGM2), n = 8) and the forth bar represents T cells alone + anti-TNFR2 neutralizing mAb (Cont+anti-TNFR2), n = 8). Data are represented as mean value ± SEM collected from 3 independent experiments. One way ANOVA analysis was performed to generate P values. ns: non-significant, *P < .05, **P < .01, ***P < .001. Stim: Anti-CD3 and anti-CD28 activation Beads. TCR = T cell receptorBack to article page