M. K. Levings

CAR Tregs mediate linked suppression and infectious tolerance in islet transplantation

A2-CAR Tregs reduce BDC2.5 T cell engraftment, proliferation, and cytokine production, protecting mice from diabetes and inducing systemic tolerance.

Sex biased human thymic architecture guides T cell development through spatially defined niches

The paper maps sex differences in thymic niches using spatial multi-omics to reveal how sex influences T cell development and immune function.

Human A2-CAR T cells reject HLA-A2+ human islets transplanted into mice without inducing graft versus host disease

This study shows that A2-CAR T cells can reject HLA-A2+ human islets in mice without causing graft-versus-host disease, enabling the study of islet rejection mechanisms.

Insulin B peptide-MHC class II-specific chimeric antigen 1 receptor-Tregs prevent autoimmune diabetes

This paper demonstrates that InsB-g7 CAR Tregs specific for an insulin B-chain peptide prevent autoimmune diabetes in NOD mice.

Integration of exogenous and endogenous co-stimulatory signals by CAR-Tregs

This study compares CAR-Treg function with different co-stimulatory domains, finding in vivo equivalence between CARs with and without CD28 despite in vitro differences.

PTEN is required for human Treg suppression of costimulation

This study shows PTEN is not essential for general Treg function but is required for their ability to suppress costimulatory molecule expression by antigen-presenting cells.

Helios is a marker, not a driver, of human Treg stability

The paper shows that Helios expression marks, but does not drive, human Treg stability in vitro, using CRISPR/Cas9 and in vitro expansion systems.

Optimized CRISPR-mediated gene knock-in reveals FOXP3-independent control of human Treg identity

This study optimizes CRISPR-mediated gene knock-in in human Tregs and shows FOXP3 has a limited role in maintaining mature Treg identity.

Repeated stimulation or tonic-signaling chimeric antigen receptors drive regulatory T cell exhaustion

This study shows that human regulatory T cells (Tregs) can become exhausted through repetitive stimulation or tonic-signaling CARs, reducing their suppressive function in vivo.

Functional effects of chimeric antigen receptor co-receptor signaling domains in human Tregs

This study compares ten CAR signaling domains in Tregs, finding that wild-type CD28 CARs are most effective in suppressing graft-versus-host disease.