Institut Pasteur, Microenvironment & Immunity Unit, Paris, France.
INSERM U1224, Paris, France.
Eur J Immunol. 2018 Aug;48(8):1271-1280. doi: 10.1002/eji.201747388. Epub 2018 Jul 17.
Natural killer (NK) cells and lymphoid tissue inducer (LTi) cells were discovered more than 40 and 20 years ago, respectively. These two cell types were initially studied for their unique functions in the elimination of infected or transformed cells, and in the development of lymphoid tissues. It took an additional 10 years to realize that NK cells and LTi cells were members of a larger family of innate lymphoid cells (ILCs), whose phenotypes and functions mirror those of T cells. Many mouse models have since been developed to identify and isolate ILCs, map their developmental pathways and characterize their functions. Because of the similarity between ILCs and T cells, this exploration remains a challenge. In spite of this, a broad range of mouse models available to researchers has lead to significant progress in untangling the unique roles of ILCs early in defense, regulation of adaptive immunity and homeostasis. Here, we review these mouse models, and discuss their strengths and limitations.
自然杀伤 (NK) 细胞和淋巴组织诱导 (LTi) 细胞分别在 40 多年前和 20 多年前被发现。这两种细胞类型最初因其在清除感染或转化细胞以及在淋巴组织发育中的独特功能而被研究。又过了 10 年，人们才意识到 NK 细胞和 LTi 细胞是先天淋巴样细胞 (ILC) 大家族的成员，其表型和功能与 T 细胞相似。此后，许多小鼠模型被开发出来用于鉴定和分离 ILC，绘制其发育途径并描述其功能。由于 ILC 与 T 细胞之间的相似性，这种探索仍然具有挑战性。尽管如此，研究人员可用的广泛的小鼠模型已经在理清 ILC 在防御、调节适应性免疫和维持体内平衡方面的独特作用方面取得了重大进展。在这里，我们回顾这些小鼠模型，并讨论它们的优缺点。
