title: The origin and role of innate lymphoid cells in the lung.
abstract: Innate lymphoid cells (ILCs), a newly identified member of the lymphoid population, play a critical role in the transition from innate to adaptive immunity in host defense. ILCs are important in mucosal barrier immunity, tissue homeostasis, and immune regulation throughout the body. Significant alterations in ILC responses in lung diseases have been observed and reported. Emerging evidence has shown that ILCs are importantly involved in the pathogenesis and development of a variety of lung diseases, i.e., helminth infections, allergic airway inflammation, and airway hyper-responsiveness. However, as a tissue-resident cell population, the role of ILCs in the lung remains poorly characterized. In this review, we discuss the role of ILCs in lung diseases, the mechanisms underlying the ILC-mediated regulation of immunity, and the therapeutic potential of modulating ILC responses.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, the Children's Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310052 China ; Department of Surgery, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15213 USA.
authors.forename: Deng-Ming
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Lai
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, the Children's Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310052 China.
authors.forename: Qiang
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Shu
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15213 USA ; Research and Development, Veterans Affairs Pittsburgh Healthcare System, Pittsburgh, PA 15240 USA.
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fan
keywords: Airway; Cell interaction; Cytokines; Innate immunity; Innate lymphoid cells; Lung diseases