在类风湿关节炎(RA)中，调节性T细胞 (Treg) 免疫调节功能的缺陷在自身免疫反应发生和发展的过程中发挥着重要作用。本课题组最近在RA患者中发现了一群具有Th17表型的Treg亚群（Th17-like Treg）。该Treg亚群很可能参与了RA的致病过程。本课题将对比来源于RA患者和健康人的不同Th17-like Treg与普通Treg亚群，通过系统的细胞实验、动物实验和患者临床相关性研究，对RA 中Th17-like Treg的细胞表型、免疫抑制功能、趋化迁移特点及RA中促进其分化的因子进行研究，力图揭示RA中的Th17-like Treg 的免疫调节功能特点，从而揭示这一特殊的调节性T细胞亚群及其表现出的Treg-Th17可塑性在RA疾病发展中的作用，进一步深化我们对RA中免疫调节机制的认识，并为基于Treg的细胞治疗技术的进一步完善提供新的参考。

The impaired functions of regulatory T-cells (Treg) play an essential role in the initiation and development of autoimmunity in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Recently, we identified a subset of Tregs which showed Th17 characteristics in RA (Th17-like Treg). It is very likely that the Th17-like Treg population is involved in the pathogenesis of RA. We are going to investigate the phenotypes, immunological functions, chemotaxis and differentiation factors of Th17-like Treg cells in RA in a series of studies in cell culture systems, animal models and clinical association analysis by comparing the Th17-like Tregs and conventional Tregs from RA patients and healthy controls. The roles of Th17-like Treg subset showing Treg-Th17 plasticity in RA development will be revealed by this investigation, which will deepen the understanding of immune regulatory mechanism in RA and provide novel references for the improvement of Treg cell therapies on RA.