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  • Perspective
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Cooperation of ILC2s and TH2 cells in the expulsion of intestinal helminth parasites

Nature Reviews Immunology volume 24, pages 294–302 (2024)Cite this article

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Abstract

Type 2 immune responses form a critical defence against enteric worm infections. In recent years, mouse models have revealed shared and unique functions for group 2 innate lymphoid cells and T helper 2 cells in type 2 immune response to intestinal helminths. Both cell types use similar innate effector functions at the site of infection, whereas each population has distinct roles during different stages of infection. In this Perspective, we review the underlying mechanisms used by group 2 innate lymphoid cells and T helper 2 cells to cooperate with each other and suggest an overarching model of the interplay between these cell types over the course of a helminth infection.

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Fig. 1: ILC2s and TH2 cells jointly control helminth infections via the secretion of type 2 effector cytokines.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by grants from the European Research Council Starting Grant (ERCEA; 803087 to C.S.N.K.), the German Research Foundation (DFG; project ID 259373024–CRC/TRR 167, project ID 322359157–FOR2599, project ID 375876048–CRC/TRR 241, and SPP1937 KL 2963/5-2, KL 2963/2-1 and KL 2963/3-1 to C.S.N.K.) and the US National Institutes of Health (DK126871, AI151599, AI095466, AI095608, AI142213, AR070116, AI172027, DK132244), the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation, Cure for IBD, Jill Roberts Institute, the Sanders Family and the Rosanne H. Silbermann Foundation (all to D.A.). A.N.J.M. is supported by the Medical Research Council, as part of UK Research and Innovation (MRC grant U105178805) and Wellcome Trust (220223/Z/20/Z).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Immune Medicine, University Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany

    Dietmar M. W. Zaiss

  2. Institute of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine, University Hospital Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany

    Dietmar M. W. Zaiss

  3. Leibniz Institute for Immunotherapy (LIT), Regensburg, Germany

    Dietmar M. W. Zaiss

  4. Bloomberg Kimmel Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, Department of Oncology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA

    Edward J. Pearce

  5. W. Harry Feinstone Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA

    Edward J. Pearce

  6. Jill Roberts Institute for Research in Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University, New York, NY, USA

    David Artis

  7. Friedman Center for Nutrition and Inflammation, Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University, New York, NY, USA

    David Artis

  8. Joan and Sanford I. Weill Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University, New York, NY, USA

    David Artis

  9. Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University, New York, NY, USA

    David Artis

  10. MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK

    Andrew N. J. McKenzie

  11. Department of Microbiology, Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany

    Christoph S. N. Klose

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D.A. has contributed to scientific advisory boards at Pfizer, Takeda, FARE and the KRF. A.N.J.M. is on the scientific advisory board of SinoMab. The other authors declare no competing interests.

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Zaiss, D.M.W., Pearce, E.J., Artis, D. et al. Cooperation of ILC2s and TH2 cells in the expulsion of intestinal helminth parasites. Nat Rev Immunol 24, 294–302 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41577-023-00942-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41577-023-00942-1

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