清华大学胡小玉课题组发现，上皮内肥大细胞驱动gasdermin C介导的2型免疫。这一研究成果于2024年4月12日在线发表在国际学术期刊《免疫》上。

据悉，一个多世纪前，人们首次观察到一种驻留在上皮层内的特化肥大细胞群，目前称为IEMC，但它们的生理功能一直是个谜。

附：英文原文

Title: Intraepithelial mast cells drive gasdermin C-mediated type 2 immunity

Author: Liu Yang, Huabin He, Xue-Kun Guo, Jiali Wang, Wenwen Wang, Da Li, Shaonan Liang, Feng Shao, Wanli Liu, Xiaoyu Hu

Issue&Volume: 2024-04-12

Abstract: A specialized population of mast cells residing within epithelial layers, currentlyknown as intraepithelial mast cells (IEMCs), was originally observed over a centuryago, yet their physiological functions have remained enigmatic. In this study, weunveil an unexpected and crucial role of IEMCs in driving gasdermin C-mediated type2 immunity. During helminth infection, αEβ7 integrin-positive IEMCs engaged in extensiveintercellular crosstalk with neighboring intestinal epithelial cells (IECs). Throughthe action of IEMC-derived proteases, gasdermin C proteins intrinsic to the epithelialcells underwent cleavage, leading to the release of a critical type 2 cytokine, interleukin-33(IL-33). Notably, mast cell deficiency abolished the gasdermin C-mediated immune cascadeinitiated by epithelium. These findings shed light on the functions of IEMCs, uncovera previously unrecognized phase of type 2 immunity involving mast cell-epithelialcell crosstalk, and advance our understanding of the cellular mechanisms underlying gasdermin C activation.

DOI: 10.1016/j.immuni.2024.03.017

Source: https://www.cell.com/immunity/abstract/S1074-7613(24)00138-9