Description
CD4+ T cells develop in the thymus and differentiate into subsets of specialized effector T lymphocytes in response to distinct environmental cues and the activation of specific transcription factors. The isolation of CD4+ T cells is an important step in the preparation of multiple subsets including Th1, Th2, Th17, Th9, Th22, and regulatory T cells. CD4+ T cell subsets secrete characteristic combinations of cytokines which enables them to exert diverse functions including the recruitment and activation of additional immune cells, the dampening of ongoing immune responses, and the maintenance of immunologic memory.
