Group 3 innate lymphoid cells mediate early protective immunity against tuberculosis.

Tuberculosis is the leading cause of death by an infectious disease worldwide1. However, the involvement of innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) in immune responses to infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) is unknown. Here we show that circulating subsets of ILCs are depleted from the blood of participants with pulmonary tuberculosis and restored upon treatment. Tuberculosis increased accumulation of ILC subsets in the human lung, coinciding with a robust transcriptional response to infection, including a role in orchestrating the recruitment of immune subsets. Using mouse models, we show that group 3 ILCs (ILC3s) accumulated rapidly in Mtb-infected lungs and coincided with the accumulation of alveolar macrophages. Notably, mice that lacked ILC3s exhibited a reduction in the accumulation of early alveolar macrophages and decreased Mtb control. We show that the C-X-C motif chemokine receptor 5 (CXCR5)-C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 13 (CXCL13) axis is involved in Mtb control, as infection upregulates CXCR5 on circulating ILC3s and increases plasma levels of its ligand, CXCL13, in humans. Moreover, interleukin-23-dependent expansion of ILC3s in mice and production of interleukin-17 and interleukin-22 were found to be critical inducers of lung CXCL13, early innate immunity and the formation of protective lymphoid follicles within granulomas. Thus, we demonstrate an early protective role for ILC3s in immunity to Mtb infection.

Publisher Correction: Group 3 innate lymphoid cells mediate early protective immunity against tuberculosis.

An Amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.

Tissue-resident innate immunity in the lung.

The lung is a unique organ that must protect against inhaled pathogens and toxins, without mounting a disproportionate response against harmless particulate matter and without compromising its vital function. Tissue-resident immune cells within the lung provide local immunity and protection from infection but are also responsible for causing disease when dysregulated. There is a growing appreciation of the importance of tissue-resident memory T cells to lung immunity, but non-recirculating, tissue-resident, innate immune cells also exist. These cells provide the first line of defence against pulmonary infection and are essential for co-ordinating the subsequent adaptive response. In this review, we discuss the main lung-resident innate immune subsets and their functions in common pulmonary diseases, such as influenza, bacterial pneumonia, asthma and inflammatory disorders.

Tissue-resident-like CD4+ T cells secreting IL-17 control Mycobacterium tuberculosis in the human lung.

T cell immunity is essential for the control of tuberculosis (TB), an important disease of the lung, and is generally studied in humans using peripheral blood cells. Mounting evidence, however, indicates that tissue-resident memory T cells (Trms) are superior at controlling many pathogens, including Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tuberculosis), and can be quite different from those in circulation. Using freshly resected lung tissue, from individuals with active or previous TB, we identified distinct CD4+ and CD8+ Trm-like clusters within TB-diseased lung tissue that were functional and enriched for IL-17-producing cells. M. tuberculosis-specific CD4+ T cells producing TNF-α, IL-2, and IL-17 were highly expanded in the lung compared with matched blood samples, in which IL-17+ cells were largely absent. Strikingly, the frequency of M. tuberculosis-specific lung T cells making IL-17, but not other cytokines, inversely correlated with the plasma IL-1ß levels, suggesting a potential link with disease severity. Using a human granuloma model, we showed the addition of either exogenous IL-17 or IL-2 enhanced immune control of M. tuberculosis and was associated with increased NO production. Taken together, these data support an important role for M. tuberculosis-specific Trm-like, IL-17-producing cells in the immune control of M. tuberculosis in the human lung.

Innate Lymphoid Cell Activation and Sustained Depletion in Blood and Tissue of Children Infected with HIV from Birth Despite Antiretroviral Therapy.

Innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) are important for response to infection and for immune development in early life. HIV infection in adults depletes circulating ILCs, but the impact on children infected from birth remains unknown. We study vertically HIV-infected children from birth to adulthood and find severe and persistent depletion of all circulating ILCs that, unlike CD4+ T cells, are not restored by long-term antiretroviral therapy unless initiated at birth. Remaining ILCs upregulate genes associated with cellular activation and metabolic perturbation. Unlike HIV-infected adults, ILCs are also profoundly depleted in tonsils of vertically infected children. Transcriptional profiling of remaining ILCs reveals ongoing cell-type-specific activity despite antiretroviral therapy. Collectively, these data suggest an important and ongoing role for ILCs in lymphoid tissue of HIV-infected children from birth, where persistent depletion and sustained transcriptional activity are likely to have long-term immune consequences that merit further investigation.

Type 3 ILCs in Lung Disease.

The lungs represent a complex immune setting, balancing external environmental signals with a poised immune response that must protect from infection, mediate tissue repair, and maintain lung function. Innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) play a central role in tissue repair and homeostasis, and mediate protective immunity in a variety of mucosal tissues, including the lung. All three ILC subsets are present in the airways of both mice and humans; and ILC2s shown to have pivotal roles in asthma, airway hyper-responsiveness, and parasitic worm infection. The involvement of ILC3s in respiratory diseases is less well-defined, but they are known to be critical in homeostasis, infection and inflammation at other mucosal barriers, such as the gut. Moreover, they are important players in the IL17/IL22 axis, which is key to lung health. In this review, we discuss the emerging role of ILC3s in the context of infectious and inflammatory lung diseases, with a focus on data from human subjects.