The role of miRNAs in T helper cell development, activation, fate decisions and tumor immunity

Front Immunol. 2024 Jan 9:14:1320305. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1320305. eCollection 2023.

Abstract

T helper (Th) cells are central members of adaptive immunity and comprise the last line of defense against pathogen infection and malignant cell invasion by secreting specific cytokines. These cytokines then attract or induce the activation and differentiation of other immune cells, including antibody-producing B cells and cytotoxic CD8+ T cells. Therefore, the bidirectional communication between Th cells and tumor cells and their positioning within the tumor microenvironment (TME), especially the tumor immune microenvironment (TIME), sculpt the tumor immune landscape, which affects disease initiation and progression. The type, number, and condition of Th cells in the TME and TIME strongly affect tumor immunity, which is precisely regulated by key effectors, such as granzymes, perforins, cytokines, and chemokines. Moreover, microRNAs (miRNAs) have emerged as important regulators of Th cells. In this review, we discuss the role of miRNAs in regulating Th cell mediated adaptive immunity, focusing on the development, activation, fate decisions, and tumor immunity.

Keywords: activation; development; fate decisions; miRNAs; T helper cell; tumor immunity; tumor microenvironment.

Publication types

  • Review
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adaptive Immunity
  • CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes
  • Cytokines
  • MicroRNAs*
  • T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer

Substances

  • MicroRNAs
  • Cytokines

Grants and funding

The author(s) declare financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. This work was supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 82002596); Science and Technology Department of Henan Province (No. 212102310162); Medical Science and Technology Research Project of Henan Province (No. LHGJ20190633). Korea Health Industry Development Institute (KHDI), funded by the Ministry of Health & Welfare, Republic of Korea (HR21C0198).