title: Eosinophils: changing perspectives in health and disease.
abstract: Eosinophils have been traditionally perceived as terminally differentiated cytotoxic effector cells. Recent studies have profoundly altered this simplistic view of eosinophils and their function. New insights into the molecular pathways that control the development, trafficking and degranulation of eosinophils have improved our understanding of the immunomodulatory functions of these cells and their roles in promoting homeostasis. Likewise, recent developments have generated a more sophisticated view of how eosinophils contribute to the pathogenesis of different diseases, including asthma and primary hypereosinophilic syndromes, and have also provided us with a more complete appreciation of the activities of these cells during parasitic infection.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Allergic Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA. hrosenberg@niaid.nih.gov
authors.forename: Helene F
authors.initials: HF
authors.lastname: Rosenberg
authors.forename: Kimberly D
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Dyer
authors.forename: Paul S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Foster
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001249:Asthma / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology; D015550:Cell Degranulation / Q000276:immunology; D016207:Cytokines / Q000276:immunology; D004802:Eosinophilia / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology; D004804:Eosinophils / Q000276:immunology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D006801:Humans; D017681:Hypereosinophilic Syndrome / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D018448:Models, Immunological; D010272:Parasitic Diseases / Q000276:immunology; D011971:Receptors, Immunologic / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D011971:Receptors, Immunologic