In Vitro Polarization of T-Helper Cells

: In vitro polarization of CD4(+) T cells along distinct T-helper (Th) lineages is critical for defining the factors and properties that determine the differentiation, stability, and effector functions of each Th subset. Furthermore, polarized cells can be transferred into naive syngeneic mice to investigate their trafficking patterns and pathological or therapeutic roles in the setting of infection, autoimmunity, and neoplasia. In this chapter, we describe methods for generating and characterizing a spectrum of CD4(+) Th cell lines in vitro. Protocols are provided that use naive wild-type or T cell receptor (TCR) transgenic CD4+ T cells, or a polyclonal population of primed CD4+ T cells from immunized mice.