Patent ID: 8076134

Claim:
A method of suppressing the proliferation of human CD4 + T cells ex vivo or in vivo comprising the steps of: (a) isolating CD4 + CD25 + T cells from human peripheral blood; (b) anergizing human CD4 + CD25 − T cells by contacting the CD4 + CD25 − T cells ex vivo with an anergic state inducing agent consisting of CD4 + CD25 + T cells and an activation stimulus, wherein the activation stimulus is selected from the group consisting of (i) and (ii), wherein (i) is a combination of plate-bound anti-CD3 and soluble anti-CD28 antibodies; and (ii) are allogeneic mature dendritic cells, whereby Tr-1 like regulatory cells are produced; and (c) suppressing the proliferation of said CD4+ T cells by (i) introducing said Tr-1 like regulatory cells to a composition comprising said CD4+ T cells ex vivo or (ii) administering said Tr-1 like regulatory cells to a human subject in vivo.