Abstract:

Neuroinflammation is a complex immune response in the central nervous system against various factors such as injury, infection and toxins which interfere with homeostasis, involving a variety of immune cells lingering in the central nervous system. Persistent neuroinflammation is a common denominator of the etiology and course of all neurological diseases, including neurodevelopmental, neurodegenerative and psychiatric disorders, such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis and depression. Th17 cells, known as an important subtpye of CD4⁺ T cells, mediate immune responses against extracellular bacteria and fungi in steady-state and maintain the defense function of the intestinal mucosal barrier. However, when the cytokine microenvironment in vivo undergoes inflammatory changes, Th17 cells can transform into a highly pro-inflammatory pathogenic phenotype, break through the blood-brain barrier and recruit more inflammatory cells to participate in neuroinflammation, ultimately leading to neurodegeneration. In this review, we summarize the differentiation regulation of pathogenic Th17 cells and their roles in neuroinflammation, which is informative for understanding the interactions between immune system and nervous system.

Key words: neuroinflammation, pathogenic Th17 cells, blood-brain barrier, RORγt;