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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2016 Jun 1.
Published in final edited form as: Curr Opin Immunol. 2015 Apr 11;34:130–136. doi: 10.1016/j.coi.2015.03.007

Figure 1. Regulation of human Th differentiation by IL-12, IL-23, and TGF-β.

Figure 1

The differentiation of Th subsets can be viewed as vectors starting from the origin in a three dimensional model. The three cytokines IL-12, IL-23, and TGF-β define the three axes. With this model, many Th subsets are placed on the vertex of the cube. Human Th subsets can be largely split into two groups according to the role of TGF-β in their differentiation: one group promoted by TGF-β (Tfh, Th17, and Th9) and another inhibited by TGF-β (Th1, Th2, and Th22). Second, other groups can be defined by the role of IL-12 and IL-23: one promoted by IL-12 (Th1, Tfh, and Th22) or by IL-23 (Th17, Tfh, and Th22), and another inhibited by IL-12 or IL-23 (Th2 and Th9).