Expanding IPEX: Inborn Errors of Regulatory T Cells

Regulatory T cells (Tregs) are critical for enforcing peripheral tolerance. Monogenic "Tregopathies" affecting Treg development, stability, and/or function commonly present with polyautoimmunity, atopic disease, and infection. While autoimmune manifestations may present in early childhood, as more disorders are characterized, conditions with later onset have been identified. Treg numbers in the blood may be decreased in Tregopathies, but this is not always the case, and genetic testing should be pursued when there is high clinical suspicion. Currently, hematopoietic cell transplantation is the only curative treatment, but gene therapies are in development, and small molecule inhibitors/biologics may also be used.