Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 3, 2026

Isolation and Th17 Differentiation of Naïve CD4 T Lymphocytes
Published on: September 26, 2013
Human interleukin 17-producing cells originate from a CD161+CD4+ T cell precursor
Lorenzo Cosmi1, Raffaele De Palma, Veronica Santarlasci
1Department of Internal Medicine and DENOTHE Center, University of Florence, Florence 50134, Italy.
We demonstrate that CD161 is a highly up-regulated gene in human interleukin (IL) 17 T helper cell (Th17) clones and that all IL-17-producing cells are contained in the CD161(+) fraction of CD4(+) T cells present in the circulation or in inflamed tissues, although they are not CD1-restricted natural killer T cells. More importantly, we show that all IL-17-producing cells originate from CD161(+) naive CD4(+) T cells of umbilical cord blood, as well as of the postnatal thymus, in response to the combined activity of IL-1 beta and IL-23. These findings implicate CD161 as a novel surface marker for human Th17 cells and demonstrate the exclusive origin of these cells from a CD161(+)CD4(+) T cell progenitor.
We demonstrate that CD161 is a highly up-regulated gene in human interleukin (IL) 17 T helper cell (Th17) clones and that all IL-17-producing cells are contained in the CD161(+) fraction of CD4(+) T cells present in the circulation or in inflamed tissues, although they are not CD1-restricted natural killer T cells. More importantly, we show that all IL-17-producing cells originate from CD161(+) naive CD4(+) T cells of umbilical cord blood, as well as of the postnatal thymus, in response to the combined activity of IL-1 beta and IL-23. These findings implicate CD161 as a novel surface marker for human Th17 cells and demonstrate the exclusive origin of these cells from a CD161(+)CD4(+) T cell progenitor.
Related Concept Videos
T Cell Types and Functions
Th1 cells stimulate dendritic cells to express necessary co-stimulatory molecules on their surfaces for...
Cells of the Adaptive Immune Response
T Cell Activation and Clonal Selection
Naive T cells that have not yet encountered an antigen express two primary CD...
Differentiation of Common Myeloid Progenitor Cells
Lineage Commitment
Production of Formed Elements
Most HSCs commit to...

