In 2005, a new lineage of helper T cells was discovered—Th17 cells—as reported in Nature Immunology, a breakthrough that fundamentally transformed our understanding of immune regulation. This discovery challenged the then-dominant Th1/Th2 paradigm and unveiled an entirely new scenario of immune complexity, particularly in inflammation, host defense, and autoimmunity. Few findings in the past two decades have had such a broad and lasting impact on basic and translational immunology. Th17 has shaped how we understand cytokine networks, immune regulation, and autoimmunity. In October 2025, a dialogue titled “Twenty years of Th17: A dialogue on immunological innovation and translation” was held during the 2025 CSBMB Annual Symposium to commemorate this milestone. Professor Dong reflected on the origins and impact of Th17 research, its integration into the broader immune regulatory network, and his vision for the next two decades.

Medical journals and scientific journals in general, have been our community’s way of reporting scientific findings for the past three-hundred years. During this time, they have been in continuous evolution, undergoing many changes, with the aim to better and more efficiently communicate research to other specialists and the wider public. Here, the hLife’s co-Editor-in-Chief Dr. Chen Dong speaks with Dr. Eric Rubin and Dr. Rui-Ping Xiao from The New England Journal of Medicine (NJEM) on the history and development of medical journals, a dialogue which took place immediately following the launch ceremony of hLife. They reflect on how reporting of medical discoveries has changed over time, the future medical challenges that society faces and how journals can address these issues, and they also give their views on how new technologies, including the use of artificial intelligence (AI), will be incorporated into the medical research and publishing.