The expanding role of innate lymphoid cells and their T-cell counterparts in gastrointestinal cancers

Abstract

Innate lymphoid cells (ILCs)contribute to the regulation of gastrointestinal (GI)homeostasis. Over the past 15 years, there has been a large effort to dissect the mechanisms required for GI homeostasis, with a major focus on different immune cell populations and the cytokines that they produce. In contrast to T-helper (Th)cells, ILCs respond rapidly to cytokines in their microenvironment in the absence of specific antigens; however, once activated both cell populations have similar effector functions. Two effector cytokines produced by both ILC3 and Th17 cell populations, Interleukin (IL)-17 and IL-22, have taken center stage for their ability to signal directly to GI epithelial cells and pr..