title: Innate lymphoid cells in graft-versus-host disease.
abstract: Innate lymphoid cells (ILC) are lymphocytes lacking rearranged antigen receptors such as those expressed by T and B cells. ILC are important effector and regulatory cells of the innate immune system, controlling lymphoid organogenesis, tissue inflammation, and homeostasis. The family of ILC consists of cytotoxic NK cells and the more recently described noncytotoxic group 1, 2, and 3 ILC. The classification of noncytotoxic ILC-in many aspects-mirrors that of T helper cells, which is based on the expression of master transcription factors and signature cytokines specific for each subset. The IL-22 producing RORγt(+) ILC3 subset was recently found to be critical in the prevention of intestinal graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) following allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) via strengthening the intestinal mucosal barrier. In this review, we summarize the current view of the immunological functions of human noncytotoxic ILC subsets and discuss the potentially beneficial features of IL-22 producing ILC3 in improving allo-HCT efficacy by attenuating susceptibility to GVHD. In addition, we explore the possibility of other ILC subsets playing a role in GVHD.
authors.affiliation: Center for Infectious Medicine, Department of Medicine Huddinge, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.|Institute of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Konya
authors.affiliation: Center for Infectious Medicine, Department of Medicine Huddinge, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mjösberg
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006084:Graft Rejection; D006085:Graft Survival; D006086:Graft vs Host Disease / Q000276:immunology*; D018380:Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007113:Immunity, Innate / Q000276:immunology* / Q000502:physiology; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology* / Q000502:physiology; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D016377:Organ Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D011379:Prognosis; D006377:T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer / Q000276:immunology; D014181:Transplantation Immunology / Q000502:physiology; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous / Q000379:methods
keywords: Basic (laboratory) research/science; bone marrow/hematopoietic stem cell transplantation; graft-versus-host disease (GVHD); immunobiology; intestinal disease; lymphocyte biology; translational research/science