Friend or Foe - Tc17 cell generation and current evidence for their importance in human disease

The term refers to interleukin 17 (IL-17)-producing CD8 T cells. While IL-17 is an important mediator of mucosal defense, it is also centrally involved in driving the inflammatory response in immune-mediated diseases, such as psoriasis, multiple sclerosis, and inflammatory bowel disease. In this review, we aim to gather the current knowledge on the phenotypic and transcriptional profile, the and generation of Tc17 cells, and the evidence pointing towards a relevant role of Tc17 cells in human diseases such as infectious diseases, cancer, and immune-mediated diseases.