Figure 3

Human amnion epithelial cells (hAECs) induce transcription of FoxP3 ⁺ in non-regulatory T cells (non-Tregs) and promote Treg expansion in vivo . (A) Representative images of green fluorescent protein-positive (GFP⁺) cells within the lung parenchyma of Rag1 ^-/- mice following adoptive transfer of Tregs (scale bar = 50 μm) (DAPI, blue; FoxP3, green; auto-fluorescence, red). Green staining in the absence of co-localisation with red indicates that the cells are GFP⁺ Tregs rather than autofluorescent cells. (B) Co-administration of hAECs and adoptive transfer of Tregs resulted in expansion of Tregs in vivo as well as some conversion of non-Tregs into GFP-expressing FoxP3⁺ Tregs (**P <0.01). DAPI, 4′,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole.