Maintenance of graft tissue–resident Foxp3⁺ cells is necessary for lung transplant tolerance in mice

Mechanisms that mediate allograft tolerance differ between organs. We have previously shown that Foxp3⁺ T cell–enriched bronchus-associated lymphoid tissue (BALT) is induced in tolerant murine lung allografts and that these Foxp3⁺ cells suppress alloimmune responses locally and systemically. Here, we demonstrated that Foxp3⁺ cells that reside in tolerant lung allografts differed phenotypically and transcriptionally from those in the periphery and were clonally expanded. Using a mouse lung retransplant model, we showed that recipient Foxp3⁺ cells were continuously recruited to the BALT within tolerant allografts. We identified distinguishing features of graft-resident and newly recruited Foxp3⁺ cells and showed that graft-infiltrating Foxp3⁺ cells acquired transcriptional profiles resembling those of graft-resident Foxp3⁺ cells over time. Allografts underwent combined antibody-mediated rejection and acute cellular rejection when recruitment of recipient Foxp3⁺ cells was prevented. Finally, we showed that local administration of IL-33 could expand and activate allograft-resident Foxp3⁺ cells, providing a platform for the design of tolerogenic therapies for lung transplant recipients. Our findings establish graft-resident Foxp3⁺ cells as critical orchestrators of lung transplant tolerance and highlight the need to develop lung-specific immunosuppression.