Three cornerstones of mast cell development are an absolute dependence on the presence
of stem cell factor, T-cell-independent and T-cell-dependent tissue mast cell populations
derived from a single lineage, and a diversity of phenotypes for mature tissue mast cells as
defined by immunohistochemical and biochemical properties. The in vivo biology of the mast
cell in the mouse has been deduced through the availability of mice with genetic and
induced gene disruptions, whereas limited but compatible findings for the human have been …