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Review
. 2018 Mar;153(3):297-303.
doi: 10.1111/imm.12862. Epub 2017 Dec 26.

Dissecting human ILC heterogeneity: more than just three subsets

Yannick Simoni  1 , Evan W Newell  1
Affiliations
Review

Dissecting human ILC heterogeneity: more than just three subsets

Yannick Simoni et al. Immunology. 2018 Mar.

Abstract

Innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) have been divided into three distinct groups based on functional capacities, cytokine profiles and transcription factor expression. Studies performed mainly in mice have demonstrated the importance of ILCs in chronic inflammation, infection, allergy and cancer. In this review, we discuss the heterogeneity of human ILC and focus primarily on the taxonomy of human ILC cell subsets and their phenotypical and functional diversity. We summarize recent findings concerning the diversity of ILCs between and within the major subsets [natural killer (NK), ILC1, intra-epithelial ILC1 (ieILC1), ILC2, ILC3, lymphoid tissues inducer (LTi) and ILC progenitor (ILCP)], as well as the abundance of each in human tissues. We also discuss the similarities observed between groups of cells in term of receptors expressed and cytokines produced, and how these relate to the pleiotropic properties of each subset.

Keywords: ILC1; ILC2; ILC3; heterogeneity; human; ieILC1.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Human innate lymphoid cells (ILC) heterogeneity. Human innate lymphoid cells (ILC) can be divided into three main groups: group 1 ILC containing natural killer (NK) cells (orange background), group 2 ILC (green background) and group 3 ILC (blue background). Each group is composed of distinct subsets.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Human innate lymphoid cells (ILC) subset distribution in tissues. Frequency of natural killer (NK) cells (orange), intra‐epithelial ILC1 (ieILC1) cells (red), ILC2 (green), NKp44− ILC3 (light blue) and NKp44+ ILC3 cells (dark blue) in blood, cord blood, spleen, bone marrow, skin, lung, colon and tonsil. Figure adapted from Ref. 25.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Innate lymphoid cells (ILC) activation: beyond their subset‐specific receptors. Receptors shared between natural killer (NK) cells, ILC2 and ILC3 cells. *Marker not expressed by all types of cells.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Innate lymphoid cells (ILC) 2 and ILC3: more than T helper type 2 (Th2)‐like and Th17‐like cell populations. Cytokines produced by human ILC2 and ILC3 cells after stimulation, and their roles in the immune response.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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