Factors regulating the differences in frequency of infiltration of Th17 and Treg of the blood-brain barrier

Abstract

Controlling CD4⁺ immune cell infiltration of the brain is a leading aim in designing therapeutic strategies for a range of neuropathological disorders such as multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer's disease, and depression. CD4⁺ T cells are a highly heterogeneous and reprogrammable family, which includes various distinctive cell types such as Th17, Th1, and Treg cells. Interestingly Th17 and Treg cells share a related transcriptomic profile, where the TGFβ-SMADS pathway plays a fundamental role in regulating the differentiation of both of these cell types. However, Th17 could be highly pathogenic and was shown to promote inflammation in various neuropathological disorders. Conversely, Treg is anti-inflammatory and is known to inhibit Th17. It could be noticed that Th17 frequencies of infiltration of the blood-brain barrier in various neurological disorders are significantly upregulated. However, Treg infiltration numbers are significantly low. The reasons behind these contradicting observations are still unknown. In this perspective, we propose that the difference in the T-cell receptor repertoire diversity, diapedesis pathways, chemokine expression, and mechanical properties of these two cell types could be contributing to answering this intriguing question.

Keywords: CD4+ T cells; Paracellular; TCR repertoire; Th17; Transcellular; Treg.