Oxidative stress in gut TH17 cells makes mice susceptible to bacterial infection

A recent paper published in <i>Cell Metabolism</i> in August 2024 by Dirk Brenner's laboratory highlights the importance of effectively managing reactive oxygen species (ROS) in gut T_H17 T cells for minimizing the damage caused by intestinal bacterial infection. This commentary will discuss the control of cellular ROS by glutathione and the emerging understanding that neutralizing ROS in immune cells is essential for the individualized functions of different immune subsets. In the case of this study, managing ROS within T_H17 cells in the gut was shown to be essential to sustain the production of IL22 cytokine to maintain gut homeostasis in response to bacterial infection.