Innate lymphoid cells: A new paradigm in immunology

Cells acting at the intersection of immunityFor years, scientists divided the immune system into two arms: innate and adaptive. The cell types involved in the two arms differ in specificity and in how quickly they respond to infections. More recently, immunologists discovered a family of immune cell...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) 2015-05, Vol.348 (6237), p.879-879
Main Authors: Eberl, Gérard, Colonna, Marco, Di Santo, James P., McKenzie, Andrew N. J.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Antigens
Arrays
Cytokines
Feedback (Response)
Government regulations
Immune systems
Immunology
Individualized Instruction
Innate immunity
Life Sciences
Lymphocytes
Networks
Obesity
Receptors
REVIEW SUMMARY
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Cells acting at the intersection of immunityFor years, scientists divided the immune system into two arms: innate and adaptive. The cell types involved in the two arms differ in specificity and in how quickly they respond to infections. More recently, immunologists discovered a family of immune cells termed "innate lymphoid cells," which straddle these two arms. Eberl et al. review current understanding of innate lymphoid cells. Like innate immune cells, they respond to infection quickly and do not express antigen receptors; however, they secrete a similar suite of inflammatory mediators as T lymphocytes. Better understanding of the processes regulating these cells may allow for their therapeutic manipulation.Science, this issue 10.1126/science.aaa6566 Innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) are a growing family of immune cells that mirror the phenotypes and functions of T cells. However, in contrast to T cells, ILCs do not express acquired antigen receptors or undergo clonal selection and expansion when stimulated. Instead, ILCs react promptly to signals from infected or injured tissues and produce an array of secreted proteins termed cytokines that direct the developing immune response into one that is adapted to the original insult. The complex cross-talk between microenvironment, ILCs, and adaptive immunity remains to be fully deciphered. Only by understanding these complex regulatory networks can the power of ILCs be controlled or unleashed in order to regulate or enhance immune responses in disease prevention and therapy.
ISSN:0036-8075
1095-9203
DOI:10.1126/science.aaa6566