The Th17 cells, identified recently as a novel CD4⁺ T cell lineage, are characteristic of their production of IL-17 and distinct from Th1 and Th2 lineages. Their involvement in autoimmune and chronic inflammation diseases has been well observed. Recent evidence suggests that Th17 cells are also involved in tumor immunology. However, it remains unclear that how these cells regulate immune responses to tumor growth. In this review, we summarize the most recent findings about the biologics of the Th17 cells in tumor development with a hope of providing new insights into future development of effective new cancer immunotherapies.
Th17细胞是近年来被鉴定出的一类新型CD4阳性T细胞亚群。与传统的Th1、Th2细胞不同，它以分泌IL-17为主要特征，并参与自身免疫性疾病和慢性炎症的发病过程。最近的证据表明Th17细胞也参与肿瘤免疫，然而这些细胞究竟是促进肿瘤的发展或是抑制肿瘤的发展尚不清楚。本综述总结了有关Th17细胞在肿瘤中作用的最新资料，分析Th17细胞在肿瘤中的特性和作用，以利于未来设计更有效的肿瘤治疗方案。