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This is a very interesting discovery

"For decades, Th1 and Th2 were the twin middlemen of the human immune system. Scientists knew that these two subtypes of white blood cells activated and directed other immune cells in fighting viral, bacterial and fungal infections, and even some cancers.

Thus, the processes surrounding Th1 and Th2 were attractive targets for researchers working on new treatments.

But as it turns out, the twins may be triplets, a development that is shaking the world of immunology and opening doors of understanding for baffling illnesses such as multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease, according to two UAB researchers, Dr. Casey T. Weaver and Dr. Charles O. Elson."...

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anybody have a clue how to suppress this newly discovered Th17? ;)

Quite remarkable! Thanks for the post. This, I think, would have vast implications for current thought in immunology and autoimmune theories.

I hope it yields good news for us all, and in a timely fashion!

Arron

I think we should assign the task of finding out how to suppress this newly discovered "Th17" to Dignan...who has an uncanny ability to ferret out these immune buggers IMO.

ok Dignan?

Sharon

true to form, i'm just going to throw vitamin D out there as a potential suppressor of th17, since it appears to regulate th-1 and th-2

some tidbits on 17:

Cytokine. 2006 Jun 29; [Epub ahead of print]
IL-17 production by thymocytes upon CD3 stimulation and costimulation with microbial factors.
Hofstetter HH, Luhder F, Toyka KV, Gold R.

Clinical Research Group for Multiple Sclerosis, Department of Neurology, University of Wurzburg, Josef-Schneider-Strasse 11, 97080 Wurzburg, Germany.

IL-17 is a potent proinflammatory cytokine produced by activated memory T cells. Recent studies in both human autoimmune diseases and in their animal models have indicated that IL-17 rather than IFN-gamma might be the essential T-cell effector cytokine in the T-cell mediated autoimmune process. Since the thymus has a central role in maintaining T-cell self-tolerance and disturbance of thymic self-tolerance is implied in various autoimmune diseases, we here investigated the capability of murine thymocytes to produce IL-17. Our results indicate that thymocytes are a potent source of IL-17 in response to CD3 stimulation and various microbial immune stimuli and thereby show different patterns in the expression of the proinflammatory cytokines IFN-gamma and IL-17. In addition, strong differences between thymocytes and splenocytes were detected. Altered IL-17 production by thymocytes upon contact with foreign pathogens might be a key regulator in the education of adaptive immunity.

Expanding the effector CD4 T-cell repertoire: the Th17 lineage.
April 19th, 2006
Expanding the effector CD4 T-cell repertoire: the Th17 lineage.
Curr Opin Immunol. 2006 Apr 5;
Authors: Harrington LE, Mangan PR, Weaver CT

The Th1/Th2 paradigm has provided the framework for understanding CD4 T-cell biology and the interplay between innate and adaptive immunity for almost two decades. Recent studies have defined a previously unknown arm of the CD4 T-cell effector response - the Th17 lineage - that promises to change our understanding of immune regulation, immune pathogenesis and host defense. The factors that specify differentiation of IL-17-producing effector T-cells from naïve T-cell precursors are being rapidly discovered and are providing insights into mechanisms by which signals from cells of the innate immune system guide alternative pathways of Th1, Th2 or Th17 development.

anybody have a clue how to suppress this newly discovered Th17?

A Colt 45?

I have forwarded it to good neuro who is a neuro-immunologist (what do immunologist do?)

Ian

most excellent! Thank you, Ian.

Arron,

No probs - he should know whether this is a runner or not. He had heard about the Cobra toxin and said that it had been used in the Caribbean - he doesn't think it will come to anything.

Please note that I have surpassed the 1,000 postings mark. Unfortunately, despite Dignan's and JimmyLegs' final efforts, they just missed out on the $1,000 prize. As a man of not inconsiderable means, I will not take the prize money. Instead I would like you to treat you and your latest ladyfriend to a nice dinner on a Californian beach (up to $100). It's the least you deserve.

Ian

Neuro-immunologist is of the following view:

"the findings are probably real but whether or not they have relevance to MS needs more work".


Ian

If they are real, I don't see how it couldn't have some relevance to current MS theories, especially the auto-immune theory.

Viper,

There's been so many false dawns with this disease that we shouldn't get over-excited at every piece of research published. What's good to know is that findings like this 'might' lead to a better understanding and better treatments.

We will get there in the end but this is a very complicated puzzle.

Ian