Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 14, 2025

Isolation and Th17 Differentiation of Naïve CD4 T Lymphocytes
Published on: September 26, 2013
Relationship between Th17 immune response and cancer
Hanna Santos Marques1, Breno Bittencourt de Brito2, Filipe Antônio França da Silva2
1Campus Vitória da Conquista, Universidade Estadual do Sudoeste da Bahia, Vitória da Conquista 45083-900, Bahia, Brazil.
The Th17 immune response plays a dual role in cancer, promoting or inhibiting tumor growth depending on the context. Understanding this complex relationship and the plasticity of Th17 cells is key to developing new cancer therapies.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Oncology
Background:
- Cancer is a leading global cause of death with increasing mortality projections.
- The immune system, particularly T helper 17 (Th17) cells, is closely linked to cancer development.
- Th17 cells have demonstrated both pro-tumor and anti-tumor functions across various cancer types.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the multifaceted roles of Th17 immune responses in cancer pathogenesis.
- To investigate the mechanisms underlying the dual functions of Th17 cells in the tumor microenvironment.
- To highlight the significance of Interleukin-17 (IL-17) in cancer progression and outcomes.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature on Th17 cell involvement in various cancers.
- Analysis of the mechanisms of Th17 cell-mediated pro- and anti-tumor activities.
- Examination of Th17 cell plasticity and its impact on cancer immunity.
Main Results:
- Th17 cells exhibit context-dependent pro-tumorigenic (e.g., angiogenesis, T cell exhaustion) and anti-tumorigenic (e.g., immune cell recruitment) functions.
- Th17 cell plasticity allows differentiation into Th17/Treg and Th17/Th1 cells, influencing tumor immunity.
- Interleukin-17 (IL-17) is a key cytokine modulating tumor microenvironment interactions and cancer progression.
Conclusions:
- The paradoxical role of Th17 cells in cancer is attributed to their plasticity and interaction with the tumor microenvironment.
- IL-17 signaling is critical in mediating both pro- and anti-tumor effects, impacting clinical outcomes.
- Elucidating the Th17-cancer relationship is vital for identifying novel therapeutic targets.
Related Concept Videos
T Cell Types and Functions
Th1 cells stimulate dendritic cells to express necessary co-stimulatory molecules on their surfaces for...
Tumor Immunotherapy
Psychoneuroimmunology: Diabetes and Cancer
Cytotoxic T Cells-mediated Immune Response
Immunological surveillance is the ability of immune cells to monitor and eliminate infected cells with intracellular pathogens, neoplastically transformed cells, and cells with non-self antigens. Cytotoxic T cells and NK...
Cancer Vaccines
Cancer vaccines come in two categories: preventive (prophylactic) and treatment (active). Preventive vaccines, such as the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, protect against viruses that cause certain...
The Tumor Microenvironment

