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IL-33 family members and asthma – bridging innate and adaptive immune responses

2010; Elsevier BV; Volume: 22; Issue: 6 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1016/j.coi.2010.10.006

1879-0372

Clare M. Lloyd,

Asthma and respiratory diseases

The discovery of IL-33 as the ligand for the orphan Th2 associated receptor ST2 has uncovered a whole range of different avenues for this pathway. Although the extracellular functions of ST2 as a marker for Th2 cell and mast cell activity were well defined, the complexities of IL-33 regulation, nuclear function and secretion are only just being realised. The well documented expression pattern of ST2 has identified a role for the IL-33/ST2 axis in the classical Th2 cell and mast cell driven pathogenesis of asthma and anaphylaxis. However, the induction of IL-33 expression by environmental or endogenous triggers now suggests a wider role for the pathway during infection, inflammation and tissue damage.