491
Views
36
CrossRef citations to date
0
Altmetric
Review

Th9: A New Player in Asthma Pathogenesis?

, &
Pages 115-125 | Published online: 07 Feb 2011
 

Abstract

CD4+ T helper (Th) cells act as important regulators of the mammalian adaptive immune response. CD4+ Th cells were originally characterized as either Th1 or Th2 types, based on the cytokines they produce. Over the past two decades, however, we have attained a much more detailed understanding of CD4+ T-cell differentiation, functions, and gene expression profiles, which led to the identification of additional types, such as the Th17 and induced regulatory T cells. Recently, researchers have characterized yet another novel and distinct population that exists among these immune-modulatory cells. The ‘Th9’ cells were first identified as a Th2 subpopulation that produced exceptionally large quantities of the Th2-specific cytokine interleukin 9. However, experimental analysis revealed that Th9 cells had divergent regulatory capabilities and were critically involved in different immune processes. In particular, we now know that Th9 acts as a major contributor to the onset and progression of allergies, especially asthma. Here, we will review the heterogeneity and biology of CD4+ Th cells and summarize the characteristics known to date of interleukin 9 and Th9 cells to build a framework for better understanding of their roles in disease processes, especially in allergy-induced asthma.

Acknowledgment

Dr. Jennifer C. van Velkinburgh, who works for the van Velkinburgh Initiative for Collaborative BioMedical Research, has provided substantial writing assistance for this manuscript.

Declaration of Interest

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper. This work was supported by the Major State Basic Research Development Program of China (973 Program) (Nos. 2007CB512401 and 2007CB512805), the General Program of the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 30771950), and CSTC (2008BB5033).

Log in via your institution

Log in to Taylor & Francis Online

PDF download + Online access

  • 48 hours access to article PDF & online version
  • Article PDF can be downloaded
  • Article PDF can be printed
USD 65.00 Add to cart

Issue Purchase

  • 30 days online access to complete issue
  • Article PDFs can be downloaded
  • Article PDFs can be printed
USD 1,078.00 Add to cart

* Local tax will be added as applicable

Related Research

People also read lists articles that other readers of this article have read.

Recommended articles lists articles that we recommend and is powered by our AI driven recommendation engine.

Cited by lists all citing articles based on Crossref citations.
Articles with the Crossref icon will open in a new tab.