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Innate lymphoid cells in defense, immunopathology and immunotherapy

Nature Immunology volume 17, pages 755–757 (2016)Cite this article

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Targeting of innate lymphoid cells, the innate counterparts of T cells, might allow early direction of the immune system into the appropriate response during preventive and therapeutic strategies aimed at pathogens and inflammatory pathologies.

Innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) come in three types: ILC1, ILC2 and ILC3 (ref. 1). After infection of cells with viruses or bacteria, ILC1s express the characteristic type 1 effector cytokine interferon-γ (IFN-γ), which induces the activation of macrophages and the production of oxygen radicals. Natural killer cells, in particular, are cytotoxic ILC1s. After infection with large parasites such as helminths, ILC2s produce interleukin 4 (IL-4), IL-5 and IL-13, which induce vasodilation, the production of extracellular matrix and mucus and the activation of M2 macrophages (also called 'alternatively activated macrophages'). Finally, extracellular microbes such as bacteria and fungi activate ILC3s to produce IL-17, IL-22 and lymphotoxins, which collectively leads to the production of anti-microbial peptides (AMPs) by epithelial cells and the generation and recruitment of neutrophils. ILC1s, ILC2s and ILC3s are therefore the innate counterparts of the TH1, TH2 and TH17 subsets of helper T cells.

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Figure 1: ILC-based immunotherapy.

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Acknowledgements

Supported by the Agence Nationale de la Recherche (S.C. and J.M.) and the European Molecular Biology Organization (T.A.).

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  1. Sascha Cording, Jasna Medvedovic, Tegest Aychek and Gérard Eberl are with the Microenvironment & Immunity Unit, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France, and INSERM U1224, Paris, France.,

    Sascha Cording, Jasna Medvedovic, Tegest Aychek & Gérard Eberl

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  1. Sascha Cording
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  2. Jasna Medvedovic
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Correspondence to Gérard Eberl.

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Cording, S., Medvedovic, J., Aychek, T. et al. Innate lymphoid cells in defense, immunopathology and immunotherapy. Nat Immunol 17, 755–757 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1038/ni.3448

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