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Group 2 ILC s: A way of enhancing immune protection against human helminths?
Author(s) -
Nausch N.,
Mutapi F.
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
parasite immunology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.795
H-Index - 75
eISSN - 1365-3024
pISSN - 0141-9838
DOI - 10.1111/pim.12450
Subject(s) - immunology , immune system , biology , immunity , context (archaeology) , antigen , innate immune system , paleontology
Summary Group 2 innate lymphoid cells ( ILC 2s) play crucial roles in type 2 immune responses associated with allergic and autoimmune diseases, viral and helminth infections and tissue homoeostasis. Experimental models show that in helminth infections ILC 2s provide an early source of type 2 cytokines and therefore are essential for the induction of potentially protective type 2 responses. Much of our knowledge of ILC 2s in helminth infections has come from experimental mouse models with very few studies analysing ILC 2s in natural human infections. In attempts to harness knowledge from paradigms of the development of protective immunity in human helminth infections for vaccine development, the role of ILC 2 cells could be pivotal. So far, potential vaccines against human helminth infections have failed to provide effective protection when evaluated in human studies. In addition to appropriate antigen selection, it is apparent that more detailed knowledge on mechanisms of induction and maintenance of protective immune responses is required. Therefore, there is need to understand how ILC 2 cells induce type 2 responses and subsequently support the development of a protective immune response in the context of immunizations. Within this review, we summarize the current knowledge of the biology of ILC 2s, discuss the importance of ILC 2s in human helminth infections and explore how ILC 2 responses could be boosted to efficiently induce protective immunity.