Human T H 17 Cells Are Long-Lived Effector Memory Cells

Human Th17 cells give rise to distinct Th lineages, as measured by IFNγ and Foxp3+ cell expression, and have heightened self-renewal and survival capabilities.

“Human Th17 cells were shown to give rise to distinct Th lineages, as measured through the expression of IFNγ, and Foxp3+ cells, heightened self-renewal, and survival capabilities [71,72].”

Th17 cells retain a stem cell-like phenotype through coordinated effects of HIF1α/Notch/Bcl-2 and are potent anti-tumor effectors.

“Interestingly, Th17 cells retain a stem cell-like phenotype through the coordinated effects of HIF1α/Notch/Bcl-2 and are also potent anti-tumor effectors [71], suggesting that stemness might correlate with better immune responses.”

Despite phenotypic markers of terminal differentiation, Th17 cells have stem cell features and powerful functionalities.

“For example, despite their phenotypic markers of terminal differentiation, Th17 cells have stem cell feature with powerful functionalities [71–73].”

Human TH17 cells have high self-renewal potential, potent persistence, apoptotic resistance in vivo, and plasticity to convert into other cell types.

“Human TH17 cells were shown to have a high potential for self-renewal, potent persistence, apoptotic resistance in vivo and plasticity to convert into other cell types.”

Human TH17 cells are terminally differentiated memory T cells distinct from central memory and exhausted T cells.

“IL-17 producing TH17 cells, which have recently been characterized as terminally differentiated memory T cells, distinct from both central memory T cells and exhausted T cells.”

The gene signature of TH17 cells includes HIF1a and NOTCH, which together regulate survival gene expression.

“Their typifying gene signature included hypoxia-inducible factor1a and NOTCH which collaboratively regulate expression of survival genes [37].”