Transforming growth factor-β'reprograms' the differentiation of T helper 2 cells and promotes an interleukin 9–producing subset

M Veldhoen, C Uyttenhove, J Van Snick, H Helmby… - Nature …, 2008 - nature.com
M Veldhoen, C Uyttenhove, J Van Snick, H Helmby, A Westendorf, J Buer, B Martin…
Nature immunology, 2008nature.com
Since the discovery of T helper type 1 and type 2 effector T cell subsets 20 years ago,
inducible regulatory T cells and interleukin 17 (IL-17)-producing T helper cells have been
added to the'portfolio'of helper T cells. It is unclear how many more effector T cell subsets
there may be and to what degree their characteristics are fixed or flexible. Here we show that
transforming growth factor-β, a cytokine at the center of the differentiation of IL-17-producing
T helper cells and inducible regulatory T cells,'reprograms' T helper type 2 cells to lose their …
Abstract
Since the discovery of T helper type 1 and type 2 effector T cell subsets 20 years ago, inducible regulatory T cells and interleukin 17 (IL-17)-producing T helper cells have been added to the 'portfolio' of helper T cells. It is unclear how many more effector T cell subsets there may be and to what degree their characteristics are fixed or flexible. Here we show that transforming growth factor-β, a cytokine at the center of the differentiation of IL-17-producing T helper cells and inducible regulatory T cells, 'reprograms' T helper type 2 cells to lose their characteristic profile and switch to IL-9 secretion or, in combination with IL-4, drives the differentiation of 'TH-9' cells directly. Thus, transforming growth factor-β constitutes a regulatory 'switch' that in combination with other cytokines can 'reprogram' effector T cell differentiation along different pathways.
nature.com