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Updated: May 5, 2026

Isolation and Th17 Differentiation of Naïve CD4 T Lymphocytes
Published on: September 27, 2013
Induction and effector functions of T(H)17 cells
Estelle Bettelli1, Thomas Korn, Mohamed Oukka
1Center for Neurologic Diseases, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA.
Abstract:
T helper (T(H)) cells constitute an important arm of the adaptive immune system because they coordinate defence against specific pathogens, and their unique cytokines and effector functions mediate different types of tissue inflammation. The recently discovered T(H)17 cells, the third subset of effector T helper cells, have been the subject of intense research aimed at understanding their role in immunity and disease. Here we review emerging data suggesting that T(H)17 cells have an important role in host defence against specific pathogens and are potent inducers of autoimmunity and tissue inflammation. In addition, the differentiation factors responsible for their generation have revealed an interesting reciprocal relationship with regulatory T (T(reg)) cells, which prevent tissue inflammation and mediate self-tolerance.
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