Protective and pathogenic functions of innate lymphoid cells in transplantation

Abstract

Summary Innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) are a family of lymphocytes with essential roles in tissue homeostasis and immunity. Along with other tissue resident immune populations, distinct subsets of ILCs have important roles in either promoting or inhibiting immune tolerance in a variety of contexts, including cancer and autoimmunity. In solid organ and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, both donor and recipient derived ILCs could contribute to immune tolerance or rejection, yet understanding of protective or pathogenic functions are only beginning to emerge. In addition to roles in directing or regulating immune responses, ILCs interface with parenchymal cells to support tissue homeostasis and even regeneration. Whether specific ILCs are tissue-protective or enhance ischemia reperfusion injury or fibrosis is of particular interest to the field of transplantation, beyond any roles in limiting or promoting allograft rejection or graft-versus host disease. Within this review, we discuss the current understanding of ILCs functions in promoting immune tolerance and tissue repair at homeostasis and in the context of transplantation, and highlight where targeting or harnessing ILCs could have applications in novel transplant therapies.

Cell therapy with IL-10-producing group 2 innate lymphoid cells suppresses Graft-versus-Host disease

“…IL-10 expression on ILC2s was correlated with co-expression of IL-4, as well as amphiregulin (AREG) but had no significant correlation to expression levels IL-9 or IL-13 cytokines(Figure1.H-K). High amphiregulin was also notable, as it is a key tissue reparative effects (27,39,40), and was linked to ILC2s protective effects in limiting GVHD, supporting dual regulatory and reparative potential of expaned ILC210.…”