With effector functions distinct from other T cell subsets, Th17 cells have been centrally implicated in inflammatory autoimmunity. This in vitro Th17 differentiation protocol provides a means to determine whether naïve CD4+ T lymphocytes can differentiate into Th17 cells, and to further examine their role in autoimmunity and host response.
Bedoya, S. K., Wilson, T. D., Collins, E. L., Lau, K., Larkin III, J. Isolation and Th17 Differentiation of Naïve CD4 T Lymphocytes. J. Vis. Exp. (79), e50765, doi:10.3791/50765 (2013).