title: Innate helper cells: a novel cell type essential in the initiation of asthma?
abstract: The role of the innate immune system in asthma initiation is being increasingly recognised, and several innate epithelial cytokines, such as interleukin 33 (IL-33), IL-25 and thymic stromal lymphopoietin, have been described as important in asthma pathogenesis. However, until now, the mechanism by which these cytokines initiate Th2 responses and form a link with the adaptive immune system was undetermined. The recent discovery of a new group of non-T, non-B innate helper cells, which are induced by epithelial innate cytokines and secrete the Th2 cytokines IL-4 and IL-13, may provide a mechanism by which the innate and adaptive immune systems become activated in asthma.
authors.affiliation: Wellcome Intermediate Clinical Fellow, Clinical Senior Lecturer Respiratory Paediatrics, Imperial College London, 374 Sir Alexander Fleming Building, Exhibition Road, London SW7 2AZ, UK. s.saglani@imperial.ac.uk
authors.forename: Sejal
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Saglani
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001249:Asthma / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D016207:Cytokines / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007113:Immunity, Innate; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines