Innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) were initially described as instrumental in setting up lymphoid tissue organisation, but it has become increasingly clear in recent years that their portfolio of functions is wide ranging from tissue organisation to orchestration of adaptive responses and tissue remodelling/wound repair. Such cells are resident in different locations in the body and it remains to be elucidated if they all are derived from a common precursor that diversifies under different inflammatory or tissue milieu conditions. Despite the fact that ILC that have been reported to function in adipose tissue, in innate immune responses in the gut or in other tissues share many surface markers, they exhibit often distinct cytokine profiles that in many instances mirrors the cytokine profiles of defined adaptive T cell subsets. Research on these innate lymphoid cells is currently very active and many breakthroughs in understanding the crucial function for these cells are to be expected in the near future.
Innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) were initially described as instrumental in setting up lymphoid tissue organisation, but it has become increasingly clear in recent years that their portfolio of functions is wide ranging from tissue organisation to orchestration of adaptive responses and tissue remodelling/wound repair. Such cells are resident in different locations in the body and it remains to be elucidated if they all are derived from a common precursor that diversifies under different inflammatory or tissue milieu conditions. Despite the fact that ILC that have been reported to function in adipose tissue, in innate immune responses in the gut or in other tissues share many surface markers, they exhibit often distinct cytokine profiles that in many instances mirrors the cytokine profiles of defined adaptive T cell subsets. Research on these innate lymphoid cells is currently very active and many breakthroughs in understanding the crucial function for these cells are to be expected in the near future.