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Empowering T helper 17 cells in autoimmunity

Nature Medicine volume 16, pages 166–168 (2010)Cite this article

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The receptor for interleukin-7 is a susceptibility factor in multiple sclerosis, but its exact role in the disease has been unclear. New findings outline a function for interleukin-7 in the biology of T helper 17 cells, a subset of T cells recently identified as key players in autoimmune disorders (pages 191–197).

Several studies in recent years1,2,3 have identified a genetic risk factor for multiple sclerosis—a variant in the gene encoding the interleukin-7 receptor alpha (IL-7Rα). In this issue of Nature Medicine, Liu et al.4 provide mechanistic insight into this genetic observation. The authors link IL-7 with increased generation of T helper 17 (TH17) cells, a subset of IL-17–producing CD4+ T cells required for the initiation of several autoimmune disorders.

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Figure 1: Biphasic development and control of TH17.

Katie Vicari

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Marc Veldhoen is in the Division of Molecular Immunology of the Medical Research Council National Institute for Medical Research, London, UK.,

    Marc Veldhoen

  2. Benedict Seddon is in the Division of Immune Cell Biology of the Medical Research Council National Institute for Medical Research, London, UK.,

    Benedict Seddon

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  1. Marc Veldhoen
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  2. Benedict Seddon
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Correspondence to Marc Veldhoen.

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The authors declare no competing financial interests.

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Veldhoen, M., Seddon, B. Empowering T helper 17 cells in autoimmunity. Nat Med 16, 166–168 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1038/nm0210-166

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