The role of nuclear receptors in regulation of Th17/Treg biology and its implications for diseases

Nuclear receptors play an essential role in cellular environmental sensing, differentiation, development, homeostasis, and metabolism and are thus highly conserved across multiple species. The anti-inflammatory role of nuclear receptors in immune cells has recently gained recognition. Nuclear receptors play critical roles in both myeloid and lymphoid cells, particularly in helper CD4+ T-cell type 17 (Th17) and regulatory T cells (Treg). Th17 and Treg have a major impact on cellular fate through their interactions with cytokine signaling pathways. Recent studies have emphasized the interactions between nuclear receptors and the known cytokine signals and how these interactions affect the expression and function of master transcription factors in Th17 and Treg subsets. This review will focus on the most recent discoveries concerning the roles of nuclear receptors in regulating the Th17/Treg cell-fate determination.