The nuocyte is a cell of the innate immune system that plays an important role in type 2 immune responses that are induced in response to helminth worm infection or in conditions such as asthma and atopic disease.[1] Nuocytes are amongst the first cells activated in type 2 immune responses and are thought to play important roles in activating and recruiting other cells types through their production of type 2 cytokines interleukin 4, 5 and 13.[1] Nuocytes have been observed to proliferate in the presence of interleukin 7 (IL-7) in vitro.[2] Nuocytes contribute to the expulsion of helminth worms [1] and to the pathology of colitis[3] and allergic airways disease.[4]
The nuocyte was identified at the same time as several other immune cells that play similar roles in type 2 immunity. These include Natural Helper Cells (NHCs),[5] Innate Helper 2 (Ih2) cells [6] and multi-potent progenitor (MPP) type 2 cells.[7] The exact relationship between these cell types remains contentious [8][9] but all share a type-2-inducing phenotype. MPP type 2 cells appear to differ from the other populations in that they have a myeloid, rather than lymphoid, origin.[7]
Nuocytes have been shown to have a lymphoid origin and a developmental pathway that is dependent upon the transcription factor RORα and Notch signalling.[10] Pro-T cell progenitors retain nuocyte developmental potential but, unlike T cells, the thymus is dispensable for their development.
|
| |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| B cells |
| ||||
| T cells |
| ||||
| Innate lymphoid cells |
| ||||
| Lymphopoiesis |
| ||||
