title: Guards at the gate: physiological and pathological roles of tissue-resident innate lymphoid cells in the lung.
abstract: The lung is an important open organ and the primary site of respiration. Many life-threatening diseases develop in the lung, e.g., pneumonia, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (COPDs), pulmonary fibrosis, and lung cancer. In the lung, innate immunity serves as the frontline in both anti-irritant response and anti-tumor defense and is also critical for mucosal homeostasis; thus, it plays an important role in containing these pulmonary diseases. Innate lymphoid cells (ILCs), characterized by their strict tissue residence and distinct function in the mucosa, are attracting increased attention in innate immunity. Upon sensing the danger signals from damaged epithelium, ILCs activate, proliferate, and release numerous cytokines with specific local functions; they also participate in mucosal immune-surveillance, immune-regulation, and homeostasis. However, when their functions become uncontrolled, ILCs can enhance pathological states and induce diseases. In this review, we discuss the physiological and pathological functions of ILC subsets 1 to 3 in the lung, and how the pathogenic environment affects the function and plasticity of ILCs.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Translational Medicine, The First Hospital, Jilin University, Changchun, 130061, China.|Department of Pediatrics, The First Hospital, Jilin University, Changchun, 130021, China.
authors.forename: Hang
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, The Second Hospital, Jilin University, Changchun, 130041, China.
authors.forename: Chengyan
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.affiliation: Institute of Translational Medicine, The First Hospital, Jilin University, Changchun, 130061, China.
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Institute of Translational Medicine, The First Hospital, Jilin University, Changchun, 130061, China.
authors.forename: Shan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: Institute of Translational Medicine, The First Hospital, Jilin University, Changchun, 130061, China. yong-jun.liu@sanofi.com.|Sanofi Research and Development, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA. yong-jun.liu@sanofi.com.
authors.forename: Yong-Jun
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Institute of Translational Medicine, The First Hospital, Jilin University, Changchun, 130061, China. jtchen@jlu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Jingtao
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D007113:Immunity, Innate; D008168:Lung / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D008171:Lung Diseases / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology
keywords: innate lymphoid cells; lung; pulmonary diseases; regional immunity