Critical Roles of Balanced Innate Lymphoid Cell Subsets in Intestinal Homeostasis, Chronic Inflammation, and Cancer

Figure 1

The multiple roles of innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) in intestinal tissue immune defense and tissue remodeling. NK cells can attenuate intestinal damage by producing IL-22 and IFN-γ after infection. ILC1s mediate protection via IFN-γ and TNF-α production after infection and attract CXCR3⁺ leukocyte accumulation. ILC2s produce multiple important effector molecules after activation, promote intestinal repair, and limit parasitic infections. In response to IL-23 stimulation, NCR⁺ ILC3s and NCR⁻ ILC3s mainly produce IL-22 and IL-17, respectively, and GM-CSF from both kinds of cells, and participate in homeostasis of the intestine.