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The cytokine milieu in the interplay of pathogenic Th1/Th17 cells and regulatory T cells in autoimmune disease

Cellular & Molecular Immunology volume 7, pages 182–189 (2010)Cite this article

Abstract

The propagation and regulation of an immune response is driven by a network of effector and regulatory T (Treg) cells. The interplay of effector T and Treg cells determines the direction of the immune response towards inflammation or its resolution in an autoimmune disease setting. In autoimmune diseases, this interplay shifts the balance in favor of the development of autoreactive effector T cells, resulting in inflammatory pathology. The objective of an effective therapeutic approach for autoimmune disease is to restore this balance. In this review, we describe the characteristics and development of pathogenic T helper 1 (Th1) and Th17 cells and the beneficial Treg cells in autoimmune diseases and the crucial roles of the cytokine milieu in influencing the balance of these T-cell subsets. Given the importance of cytokines, we discuss current immunotherapeutic strategies using cytokine or cytokine receptor antibodies for the treatment of autoimmune diseases.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neuroimmunology, GlaxoSmithKline Research and Development Center, Shanghai, China

    Stewart Leung, Xuebin Liu, Lei Fang, Xi Chen, Taylor Guo & Jingwu Zhang

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  1. Stewart Leung
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  2. Xuebin Liu
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Correspondence to Jingwu Zhang.

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Leung, S., Liu, X., Fang, L. et al. The cytokine milieu in the interplay of pathogenic Th1/Th17 cells and regulatory T cells in autoimmune disease. Cell Mol Immunol 7, 182–189 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1038/cmi.2010.22

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