Innate Lymphoid Cells and Natural Killer Cells in Bacterial Infections: Function, Dysregulation, and Therapeutic Targets

Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology

Noha Mousaad Elemam¹  Rakhee K. Ramakrishnan¹  Azzam A. Maghazachi¹  Jennifer E. Hundt²  Qutayba Hamid³  Rabih Halwani⁴ 

[1] Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates;Lübeck Institute for Experimental Dermatology, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany;Meakins-Christie Laboratories, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada;Prince Abdullah Ben Khaled Celiac Disease Chair, Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia;Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates;

关键词: innate lymphoid cells (ILCs);    natural killer cells (NKs);    bacterial infection;    mucosal immunity;    intracellular bacteria;    extracellular bacteria;   

DOI  :  10.3389/fcimb.2021.733564

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

Infectious diseases represent one of the largest medical challenges worldwide. Bacterial infections, in particular, remain a pertinent health challenge and burden. Moreover, such infections increase over time due to the continuous use of various antibiotics without medical need, thus leading to several side effects and bacterial resistance. Our innate immune system represents our first line of defense against any foreign pathogens. This system comprises the innate lymphoid cells (ILCs), including natural killer (NK) cells that are critical players in establishing homeostasis and immunity against infections. ILCs are a group of functionally heterogenous but potent innate immune effector cells that constitute tissue-resident sentinels against intracellular and extracellular bacterial infections. Being a nascent subset of innate lymphocytes, their role in bacterial infections is not clearly understood. Furthermore, these pathogens have developed methods to evade the host immune system, and hence permit infection spread and tissue damage. In this review, we highlight the role of the different ILC populations in various bacterial infections and the possible ways of immune evasion. Additionally, potential immunotherapies to manipulate ILC responses will be briefly discussed.

【 授权许可】

Unknown