Our group previously showed that naive T cells polarized under Th17 conditions produce high amounts of IL-2 relative to Th0, Th1, and Th2 conditions.32 However, it remains unclear whether IL-2 production is associated with any functional consequences in the Th17 pathway, including the maintenance of IL-17 expression or the ability of Th17 cells to transdifferentiate to IFN-γ producing Th1-like cells that are critical for inducing transfer colitis and experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) in vivo. This evidence concerns the gene IL17A and experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis.