The present invention relates to a method for identifying CD8+ Treg cells suitable for use as starting material in
cellular immunotherapy, the method comprising i) analysing samples from
target tissue A to identify CD8+ Treg cells with migratory character between the diseased tissue, collecting lymphatics,
peripheral blood, distinct tissue adjacent to the diseased
target tissue A and / or distinct tissue that is not
vicinal though has migratory Treg communication with
target tissue A, v) analysing samples from
peripheral blood, tissue C, to identify CD8+ Treg cells with migratory character and / or functional character where the Treg cells are also emigrant from target tissue A, vi) analysing sample(s) from tissue compartments A and / or B and C, that are analytically or physically depleted of emigrants from thymus and / or immigrants from
peripheral blood to a
lymph node, to
restrict analyses to CD8+ Treg cells of target tissue A origin and / or
tropism, to identify emigrant CD8+
Treg cell populations of target tissue A, to identify emigrant CD8+
Treg cell populations with propensity to immigrate to target tissue A, to identify a migratory and / or functional defect in the CD8+
Treg cell population identified as expressing migratory and / or functional elements specific for target tissue A in any of tissue A, B or C, and whereby a combination of surface or
intracellular markers on CD8+ Treg cells is identified, which combination identifies which surface or
intracellular markers should be present and which surface markers should not be present in CD8+ Treg
cell populations suitable for use as starting material in
cellular immunotherapy.