The discovery of group 2 innate lymphoid cells has changed the concept of type 2 immune diseases

• Published in: International immunology Vol. 33; no. 12; pp. 705 - 709
• Main Authors: Kobayashi, Tetsuro, Motomura, Yasutaka, Moro, Kazuyo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: UK Oxford University Press 01.12.2021
• Subjects: Invited Review; group 2 innate lymphoid cell; allergy; Taishitsu
• ISSN: 1460-2377; 0953-8178; 1460-2377
• DOI: 10.1093/intimm/dxab063

Abstract Group 2 innate lymphoid cells (ILC2s), discovered in 2010, have been recognized as immune cells with unique functions and their involvement in various diseases has been clarified. Before 2010, the antigen-specific response was a primary focus of immunology research, and immune responses were considered almost equivalent to biological responses to foreign antigens. However, with the emergence of ILC2s, the importance of ‘antigen-independent responses’ was confirmed, and this concept has permeated basic and clinical research as well as drug development. When ILC2s were discovered, their function in the acute phase of diseases garnered attention because of their rapid and potent type 2 immune response. However, several studies have revealed that the main role of ILC2s is more closely related to the chronicity of diseases, such as allergy and fibrosis, than to the induction of diseases. In this review, we discuss how ILC2 research has affected the concept of ‘Taishitsu’, a Japanese term describing the overall nature of an individual as determined by the interaction of genetic and acquired predisposition.