Thx cells: a new subset in T helper cells, are they born to die

摘要

A new subset of T helper namely T helper x (Thx) was differentiated ex vivo from spleens by primary activation with α-CD3 and α-CD28 and later differentiated in the presence of α-IL-4, α-IFN and α-IL-12. Thx cells exhibit characteristic cell surface markers and intracellular cytokines patterns. These cells are extremely sensitive to reactivation-induced apoptosis. We further compared death pathways in all the T Helper cells that we had differentiated and found that Thl cells exhibited a Fas-FasL/ caspase dependent apoptotic pathway, Th2 cells died by a pathway independent of Fas/FasL and caspase 8. α-FasL antibody, ZVAD and TR6 were able to rescue Th1 cells from apoptosis confirming that Thl cells die