Molecular and cellular mechanisms type 2 immunity-related disorders: Allergic diseases and beyond

This Research Topic is the first volume in this series, "Molecular and cellular mechanisms type 2 immunity-related disorders: Allergic diseases and beyond". Please see volume II here.

Type 2 immunity is an immune response characterized primarily by the presence of cytokines interleukin-4 (IL-4), -5, and -13, which are crucial in combating parasitic worm infections, and in repairing, remodelling, and maintaining tissue homeostasis. When dysregulated or insufficiently controlled, type 2 responses contribute to allergic diseases such as asthma, atopic dermatitis (AD), allergic rhinitis (AR), food allergy, allergic conjunctivitis, or eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE). The key cells involved in this process are type 2 helper T (Th2) cells, innate lymphoid cells of group 2 (ILC2), mast cells (MCs), eosinophils, basophils, and macrophages. Mechanistic links between type 2 immunity and cancer also exist, which currently fall within the scope of so-called allergo-oncology.

Key discoveries of the past few decades, together with the methodological advances made in recent years, have enabled in-depth research into the mechanisms of allergic diseases, as well as other disorders related to type 2 immune responses, at the molecular and cellular layers, even at the single-cell level. Adding to this, the gradually decreasing costs of omics methods allow for a more thorough investigation of the relationship between genetic and environmental components involved in the development of allergic diseases, typical disorders with a mixed genetic and environmental basis (gene–environment interaction). An important role is played here by the assessment of gene expression by specific cells that are involved in the development of allergic diseases, which is also controlled by epigenetic mechanisms that mediate response to environmental influences and participate in the adaptation to them. Integration of genetic and epigenetic investigations with proteomic and metabolomic analysis can provide insights not only into altered pathways but also into potential biomarkers of type 2 diseases. Analyses conducted in various ecological environments provide a better understanding of the interaction between microbial infections and allergic diseases, as well as the role of type 2 mechanisms in this interaction. Research is also underway to better understand the role of type 2 immunity in cancer. All of these issues fall within the scope of this Research Topic.

We welcome the submission of all Original Research, Review, Mini-Review, Methods, Case report, and Perspective articles that correspond to the above-mentioned topics.

Manuscripts consisting solely of bioinformatics or computational analysis of public genomic or transcriptomic databases which are not accompanied by robust and relevant experimental validation (clinical cohort or biological validation in vitro or in vivo), or that are not related to immunology, are out of scope for this Research Topic.