Institute of Functional Genomics, Montpellier University, CNRS, Inserm, Montpellier, France.
Institute of Functional Genomics, Montpellier University, CNRS, Inserm, Montpellier, France.
Semin Cell Dev Biol. 2023 Dec;150-151:35-42. doi: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2023.02.012. Epub 2023 Mar 6.
The intestinal epithelium plays crucial roles in maintaining gut homeostasis. A key function consists in constituting a physical and chemical barrier between self and non-self-compartments, and, based on its crosstalk with the luminal environment, in controlling activation of the host immune system. Tuft cells are a unique epithelial cell lineage, the function of which remained a mystery even 50 years after their initial discovery. The first function of intestinal tuft cells was recently described, with a central role in initiating type 2 immune responses following infection with helminth parasites. Since then, tuft cells have emerged as sentinel cells recognizing a variety of luminal cues, mediating the host-microorganisms crosstalk with additional pathogens, including viruses and bacteria. Although it can be anticipated that more functions will be discovered for tuft cells in the future, recent discoveries already propelled them at the forefront of gut mucosal homeostasis regulation, with important potential impact in gut physiopathology. This review focuses on intestinal tuft cells, from their initial description to the current understanding of their functions, and their potential impact in diseases.
肠上皮在维持肠道内稳态方面发挥着至关重要的作用。其主要功能包括在自身和非自身隔室之间构成物理和化学屏障，并通过与腔环境的相互作用来控制宿主免疫系统的激活。肠簇细胞是一种独特的上皮细胞谱系，即使在最初发现它们 50 年后，其功能仍然是个谜。最近描述了肠簇细胞的第一个功能，即在感染寄生虫后启动 2 型免疫反应中发挥核心作用。从那时起，簇细胞已经成为识别各种腔线索的哨兵细胞，介导宿主-微生物的相互作用，以及包括病毒和细菌在内的其他病原体。尽管可以预见，未来将发现更多簇细胞的功能，但最近的发现已经将它们推到了肠道黏膜稳态调节的前沿，对肠道生理学病理具有重要的潜在影响。本文重点介绍肠簇细胞，从其最初的描述到目前对其功能的理解，以及它们在疾病中的潜在影响。
