Murine T-Helper Cell Differentiation and Plasticity

Methods Mol Biol. 2021:2285:65-75. doi: 10.1007/978-1-0716-1311-5_5.

Abstract

CD4+ T helper (TH) cells are key mediators of immunity, and according to their effector functions, they can be divided into different subsets, namely, TH1, TH2, TH17, and TH22. In order to maintain systemic homeostasis and peripheral tolerance, CD4+ TH cells are counterbalanced by CD4+ T cells with regulatory properties, namely, Foxp3+ regulatory T cells (Foxp3+TREG) and TR1 cells. Here, we describe how to in vitro differentiate murine naïve CD4+ T cells toward helper (TH1, TH2, TH17, and TH22) and regulatory (Foxp3+TREG and TR1) cells.

Keywords: CD4 T cells; Differentiation; Helper cells; Plasticity; Polarization; Regulatory cells.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antibodies / pharmacology
  • Biomarkers / metabolism
  • Cell Differentiation* / drug effects
  • Cell Plasticity* / drug effects
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Coculture Techniques
  • Cytokines / pharmacology
  • Flow Cytometry
  • Immunomagnetic Separation
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Phenotype
  • Research Design
  • T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer / drug effects
  • T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer / immunology*
  • T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer / metabolism
  • T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / drug effects
  • T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / immunology*
  • T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / metabolism
  • Workflow

Substances

  • Antibodies
  • Biomarkers
  • Cytokines