Balancing Inflammation: The Link between Th17 and Regulatory T Cells

Figure 1

Upon interaction with TGF-β within the periphery, naïve CD4⁺ T cells upregulate the transcription factors for both Th17 cells (RORγt) and regulatory T cells (FoxP3). Differentiation of either lineage depends on a multitude of factors including the surrounding cytokine environment, metabolic signalling pathways, and epigenetic modifications. These internal and external cues function together to allow for a uniquely plastic relationship whereby transdifferentiation of Th17 cells and can occur.