Journal
NATURE REVIEWS IMMUNOLOGY
Volume 18, Issue 8, Pages 514-525Publisher
NATURE PUBLISHING GROUP
DOI: 10.1038/s41577-018-0013-7
Keywords
-
Categories
Funding
- University of Chicago Physician Scientist Development Program
- US National Institutes of Health (NIH) [RO1-AI038339, UO1-AI125250, RO1-DK067180, RO1-DK100619]
- Digestive Diseases Research Core Center grant [P30-DK42086]
Ask authors/readers for more resources
The intestinal epithelial barrier is patrolled by resident intraepithelial lymphocytes (IELs) that are involved in host defence against pathogens, wound repair and homeostatic interactions with the epithelium, microbiota and nutrients. Intestinal IELs are one of the largest populations of lymphocytes in the body and comprise several distinct subsets, the identity and lineage relationships of which have long remained elusive. Here, we review advances in unravelling the complexity of intestinal IEL populations, which comprise conventional a beta T cell receptor (TCR alpha beta)(+) subsets, unconventional TCR alpha beta(+) and TCR gamma delta(+) subsets, group 1 innate lymphoid cells (ILC1s) and ILC1-like cells. Although these intestinal IEL lineages have partially overlapping effector programmes and recognition properties, they have strikingly different developmental pathways. We suggest that evolutionary pressure has driven the recurrent generation of cytolytic effector lymphocytes to protect the intestinal epithelial layer, but they may also precipitate intestinal inflammatory disorders, such as coeliac disease.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available