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T lymphocytes in the intestinal mucosa: defense and tolerance

Cellular & Molecular Immunology volume 16, pages 216–224 (2019)Cite this article

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Abstract

Although lymphocytes are known to circulate throughout lymphoid tissues and blood, they also establish residency in nonlymphoid organs, most prominently in barrier tissues, such as the intestines. The adaptation of T lymphocytes to intestinal environments requires constant discrimination between natural stimulation from commensal flora and food and pathogens that need to be cleared. Genetic variations that cause a defective defense or a break in tolerance along with environmental cues, such as infection or imbalances in the gut microbiota known as dysbiosis, can trigger several immune disorders via the activation of T lymphocytes in the intestines. Elucidation of the immune mechanisms that distinguish between commensal flora and pathogenic organisms may reveal therapeutic targets for the prevention or modulation of inflammatory diseases and boost the efficacy of cancer immunotherapy. In this review, we discuss the development and adaptation of T lymphocytes in the intestine, how these cells protect the host against pathogenic infections while tolerating food antigens and commensal microbiota, and the potential implications of targeting these cells for disease management and therapeutics.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by grants from the National Key R&D Program of China (2018YFA0508000) (S.Z.); the National Natural Science Foundation of China (81822021, 91842105, 31770990, 81788101 and 81821001) (S.Z.), and (81871284) (H.M.); and the Strategic Priority Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (XDB29030101) (S.Z.).

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  1. These authors contributed equally: Hongdi Ma, Wanyin Tao

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, CAS Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Disease, School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, 230027, Hefei, China

    Hongdi Ma, Wanyin Tao & Shu Zhu

  2. School of Data Science, University of Science and Technology of China, 230026, Hefei, China

    Shu Zhu

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  1. Hongdi Ma
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  2. Wanyin Tao
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  3. Shu Zhu
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Correspondence to Shu Zhu.

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Ma, H., Tao, W. & Zhu, S. T lymphocytes in the intestinal mucosa: defense and tolerance. Cell Mol Immunol 16, 216–224 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41423-019-0208-2

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