# The role of Th17 cells/IL-17A in AD, PD, ALS and the strategic therapy targeting on IL-17A

## TL;DR

This paper explores how Th17 cells and IL-17A contribute to neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and ALS, and discusses potential therapies targeting IL-17A.

## Contribution

The paper provides a comprehensive review of Th17/IL-17A’s role in neurodegeneration and highlights IL-17A as a potential therapeutic target.

## Key findings

- Th17 cells and IL-17A are implicated in the progression of AD, PD, and ALS.
- Targeting IL-17A may offer new immunomodulatory treatments for neurodegenerative diseases.
- The molecular pathways of Th17/IL-17A in neurodegeneration remain controversial but are being actively studied.

## Abstract

Neurodegenerative diseases are a group of disorders characterized by progressive loss of certain populations of neurons, which eventually lead to dysfunction. These diseases include Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Parkinson’s disease (PD), and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Immune pathway dysregulation is one of the common features of neurodegeneration. Recently, there is growing interest in the specific role of T helper Th 17 cells and Interleukin-17A (IL-17A), the most important cytokine of Th 17 cells, in the pathogenesis of the central nervous system (CNS) of neurodegenerative diseases. In the present study, we summarized current knowledge about the function of Th17/IL-17A, the physiology of Th17/IL-17A in diseases, and the contribution of Th17/IL-17A in AD, PD, and ALS. We also update the findings on IL-17A-targeting drugs as potentially immunomodulatory therapeutic agents for neurodegenerative diseases. Although the specific mechanism of Th17/IL-17A in this group of diseases is still controversial, uncovering the molecular pathways of Th17/IL-17A in neurodegeneration allows the identification of suitable targets to modulate these cellular processes. Therapeutics targeting IL-17A might represent potentially novel anti-neurodegeneration drugs.