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The biology of innate lymphoid cells

Nature volume 517, pages 293–301 (2015)Cite this article

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Abstract

The innate immune system is composed of a diverse array of evolutionarily ancient haematopoietic cell types, including dendritic cells, monocytes, macrophages and granulocytes. These cell populations collaborate with each other, with the adaptive immune system and with non-haematopoietic cells to promote immunity, inflammation and tissue repair. Innate lymphoid cells are the most recently identified constituents of the innate immune system and have been the focus of intense investigation over the past five years. We summarize the studies that formally identified innate lymphoid cells and highlight their emerging roles in controlling tissue homeostasis in the context of infection, chronic inflammation, metabolic disease and cancer.

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Figure 1: The innate lymphoid cell family.
Figure 2: Model of developmental pathways of innate lymphoid cells and conventional natural killer cells.
Figure 3: Host-protective effector functions of innate lymphoid cells at barrier surfaces.
Figure 4: Pro-inflammatory and tissue reparative functions of innate lymphoid cells.

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Acknowledgements

We thank L. Osborne, K. Germar, M. R. Hepworth, E. Tait Wojno and G. F. Sonnenberg for discussions and critical reading of the manuscript. We apologize to colleagues whose work could not be directly quoted due to space constraints. Research in the Artis laboratory is supported by the US National Institutes of Health (AI061570, AI095608, AI074878, AI095466, AI106697, AI102942, AI097333), the Crohns and Colitis Foundation of America and the Burroughs Wellcome Fund. Research in the Spits lab is supported by an advanced grant (341038) of the European Research Council.

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  1. Weill Cornell Medical College, Cornell University, New York, 10021, New York, USA

    David Artis

  2. Academic Medical Center at the University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, 1105 AZ, the Netherlands

    Hergen Spits

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  1. David Artis
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  2. Hergen Spits
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Correspondence to David Artis or Hergen Spits.

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David Artis is a scientific advisor for Bio-Techne and Second Genome although neither of their programmes are referred to. Hergen Spits is a part time employee of AIMM therapeutics although no AIMM programmes are referred to.

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Artis, D., Spits, H. The biology of innate lymphoid cells. Nature 517, 293–301 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1038/nature14189

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