title: Basic Aspects of T Helper Cell Differentiation.
abstract: CD4+ T helper cells orchestrate the immune response and play a pivotal role during infection, chronic inflammatory, autoimmune diseases, and carcinogenesis. CD4+ T helper cells can be subdivided into different subsets, which are characterized by a specific network of transcriptional regulators and unique cytokine profiles: Th17 cells express RORγt that in turn promotes the transcription of Il17a, Il17f; Th1 cells, expresses T-bet and produces IFN-γ, IL-2, and TNF-α; Th2 cells express GATA-3 and secrete IL-4, IL-5, and IL-13. The two most studied regulatory T cell subtypes are Foxp3+ regulatory T cells, which can be generated either in the thymus (tTreg) or induced in peripheral lymphoid organs (pTregs) and type 1 regulatory T cells (Tr1), which are induced in the periphery. These T helper cell subsets can be differentiated from naïve T cells. In addition, recent findings indicate that some T helper cell subsets can emerge from other T helper cells, suggesting a certain degree of plastiticy. Here we report basic aspects of T helper cell differentiation and function while underlining some still open questions.
authors: Department of General, Visceral and Thoracic Surgery, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.|I Medical Department, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistr. 52, D-20246, Hamburg, Germany.
authors: Nicola
authors: N
authors: Gagliani
authors: I Medical Department, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistr. 52, D-20246, Hamburg, Germany. shuber@uke.de.
authors: Samuel
authors: S
authors: Huber
mesh_terms: D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000276:immunology*; D016207:Cytokines / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000276:immunology*; D006377:T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer / Q000276:immunology*; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000276:immunology; D018417:Th1 Cells / Q000276:immunology; D058504:Th17 Cells / Q000276:immunology; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines
keywords: CD4 T helper cells; Cytokines; Differentiation; T helper cell plasticity; Transcriptional regulators