Portal de Periódicos da CAPES

Eosinophils in innate immunity: an evolving story

2010; Springer Science+Business Media; Volume: 343; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1007/s00441-010-1049-6

1432-0878

Revital Shamri, Jason Xenakis, Lisa A. Spencer,

Pediatric health and respiratory diseases

Eosinophils are innate immune leukocytes found in relatively low numbers within the blood. Terminal effector functions of eosinophils, deriving from their capacity to release their content of tissue-destructive cationic proteins, have historically been considered primary effector mechanisms against specific parasites, and are likewise implicated in tissue damage accompanying allergic responses such as asthma. However, the past decade has seen dramatic advancements in the field of eosinophil immunobiology, revealing eosinophils to also be key participants in many other facets of innate immunity, from bridging innate and adaptive immune responses to orchestrating tissue remodeling events. Here, we review the multifaceted functions of eosinophils in innate immunity that are currently known, and discuss new avenues in this evolving story.