Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 9, 2025
07:46
Author Spotlight: Achieving High-Purity In Vitro Differentiation of Th17 Cells Using Cytokine Concentration Modulation
Published on: October 25, 2024
2.9K
Th17 cell function in cancers: immunosuppressive agents or anti-tumor allies?
Milad Taghizadeh Anvar1, Kimiya Rashidan1, Nima Arsam2
1Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Cancer Cell International
|October 28, 2024
Summary
T helper 17 (Th17) cells play a dual role in cancer, promoting tumor growth and mediating anti-tumor immunity. Understanding their plasticity is key to developing targeted cancer therapies.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Oncology
Background:
- T helper 17 (Th17) cells are lymphocytes crucial for immune responses, producing interleukin-17 (IL-17).
- Th17 cells display significant plasticity within the tumor microenvironment, adopting diverse phenotypes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To elucidate the complex functions of Th17 cells in cancer.
- To review recent studies on Th17 cell plasticity and roles in cancer.
- To inform the design of novel therapeutic strategies targeting Th17 cells.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of recent studies on Th17 cells in cancer.
- Analysis of Th17 cell plasticity and phenotypes in the tumor microenvironment.
- Synthesis of findings to identify therapeutic targets.
Main Results:
- Th17 cells exhibit dual roles: promoting tumor progression via immunosuppression and angiogenesis, and mediating anti-tumor immunity.
- Th17 cells can convert to a Th1 phenotype, producing interferon-gamma (IFN-γ).
- Th17 cell plasticity allows them to either support or inhibit tumor growth.
Conclusions:
- Th17 cells represent a double-edged sword in cancer immunity.
- Targeting Th17 cells in the tumor milieu offers potential for more effective cancer treatments.
- Further research into Th17 cell plasticity is essential for therapeutic advancements.
Related Concept Videos
01:24T Cell Types and Functions
955
When T cells with CD4 markers are activated, they give rise to two types of effector cells: helper T cells and regulatory T cells. Meanwhile, T cells with CD8 markers differentiate into effector cytotoxic T cells. The differentiation of CD4 T cells into helper T cell subsets, such as Th1, Th2, and Th17 cells, is dependent on the antigen type, antigen-presenting cell, and regulatory cytokines.
Th1 cells stimulate dendritic cells to express necessary co-stimulatory molecules on their surfaces for...
Th1 cells stimulate dendritic cells to express necessary co-stimulatory molecules on their surfaces for...
955
01:27Tumor Immunotherapy
486
Immunotherapy is a treatment that boosts or manipulates the immune system to fight diseases, including cancer. For instance, by stimulating an immune response through vaccinations against viruses that cause cancers, like hepatitis B virus and human papillomavirus, these diseases can be prevented. Nonetheless, some cancer cells can avoid the immune system due to their rapid mutation and division. The immune response to many cancers involves three phases: elimination, equilibrium, and escape.
486
01:27Cytotoxic T Cells-mediated Immune Response
853
Cytotoxic T cells are a vital component of the immune system. They have the remarkable ability to identify and target antigens on infected or abnormal cells. These antigens often originate from intracellular pathogens such as viruses or abnormal proteins cancer cells produce.
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...
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...
853
01:40Cell-mediated Immune Responses
67.4K
Overview
67.4K
02:17The Tumor Microenvironment
6.6K
Every normal cell or tissue is embedded in a complex local environment called stroma, consisting of different cell types, a basal membrane, and blood vessels. As normal cells mutate and develop into cancer cells, their local environment also changes to allow cancer progression. The tumor microenvironment (TME) consists of a complex cellular matrix of stromal cells and the developing tumor. The cross-talk between cancer cells and surrounding stromal cells is critical to disrupt normal tissue...
6.6K
02:40Cancer Stem Cells and Tumor Maintenance
4.9K
Early diagnosis and treatment can often cure cancer. However, even with treatment, residual cells called cancer stem cells (CSC) might remain, often causing tumor recurrence. These cancer stem cells possess the potential for self-renewal and multi-lineage differentiation and are often responsible for the therapeutic resistance displayed in most cancers.
Cancer stem cells are thought to originate from tissue-specific normal stem cells or progenitor cells. The normal stem cells usually reside in...
Cancer stem cells are thought to originate from tissue-specific normal stem cells or progenitor cells. The normal stem cells usually reside in...
4.9K