Intraepithelial Lymphocytes of the Intestine.
Annu Rev Immunol
; 42(1): 289-316, 2024 Jun.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-38277691
ABSTRACT
The intestinal epithelium, which segregates the highly stimulatory lumen from the underlying tissue, harbors one of the largest lymphocyte populations in the body, intestinal intraepithelial lymphocytes (IELs). IELs must balance tolerance, resistance, and tissue protection to maintain epithelial homeostasis and barrier integrity. This review discusses the ontogeny, environmental imprinting, T cell receptor (TCR) repertoire, and function of intestinal IELs. Despite distinct developmental pathways, IEL subsets share core traits including an epithelium-adapted profile, innate-like properties, cytotoxic potential, and limited TCR diversity. IELs also receive important developmental and functional cues through interactions with epithelial cells, microbiota, and dietary components. The restricted TCR diversity of IELs suggests that a limited set of intestinal antigens drives IEL responses, with potential functional consequences. Finally, IELs play a key role in promoting homeostatic immunity and epithelial barrier integrity but can become pathogenic upon dysregulation. Therefore, IELs represent intriguing but underexamined therapeutic targets for inflammatory diseases and cancer.
Palabras clave
Texto completo:
1
Base de datos:
MEDLINE
Asunto principal:
Linfocitos Intraepiteliales
/
Mucosa Intestinal
Límite:
Animals
/
Humans
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Annu Rev Immunol
Año:
2024
Tipo del documento:
Article