Combination adjuvants drive long lived plastic Th17 cells that convert to multi-functional Th1 cells and protect mice against fungal infection

Th1 cells are viewed as a cornerstone of immunity to fungi and other intracellular pathogens. Despite the widely accepted role of Th1 cells in antifungal resistance, the development of protective strategies harnessing them is stunted by a limited understanding of how best to promote their development. We and others have reported a requisite role for Th17 cells in resistance to fungi. We have long been puzzled about how to reconcile seminal roles for both Th1 and Th17 subsets. Here we report that Th17 cells convert into polyfunctional Th1 cells producing multiple cytokines, including IFN-γ, TNF and GM-CSF when we used adjuvant formulations that include glucopyranosyl lipid adjuvant (GLA) to enhance antifungal immunity. GLA induced plastic Th17 cells that convert into polyfunctional Th1 memory cells.