Mast cells as a source of multifunctional cytokines

JR Gordon, PR Burd, SJ Galli - Immunology today, 1990 - cell.com
Immunology today, 1990cell.com
Mast cells have been implicated in the expression of a wide~. fiety of biological responses,
including immediate hype~ ensitM~ reactions, h.~: resporGes to parasites and neoplasms,
immunologicatly nrn-specific inflammatory and fibrotic condi~',~, ang,~ x3ene~, and tissue
remodeling and wound healing. Ho'a~ ever, the molecular basis for the action of the mast
ceil in many of these responses is obscure. In this review, John Gordon, Paros Bura and
Stephen Gaili suggest that t, Se production of a broad panel of multifunctional cytokines may …
Mast cells have been implicated in the expression of a wide~. fiety of biological responses, including immediate hype~ ensitM~ reactions, h.~: resporGes to parasites and neoplasms, immunologicatly nrn-specific inflammatory and fibrotic condi~',~, ang,~ x3ene~, and tissue remodeling and wound healing. Ho'a~ ever, the molecular basis for the action of the mast ceil in many of these responses is obscure. In this review, John Gordon, Paros Bura and Stephen Gaili suggest that t, Se production of a broad panel of multifunctional cytokines may represent an Lrnportant mechanism by which mast cells influence physiological immuno! ogical and pathological processes.
The mast cell has long enjoyed the distinction of simultaneously representing one of the best understood~ nd one of the least understood components of the immune. system. On the one hand, the essential role of the mast ce! l as the criucal effector ceil in certain forms of IgE-dependent immediate hypersensitivity has been established beyond reasonable docbt. On the other hand, certain clinically important aspects of some IgE-dependent responses, such as the striking recruitment of leukocytes that occurs in some of these reactions, are poorly understood in mechanistic terms. Mast cells also appear to particiF~[e; qa wide variety of biological responses in which IgE has no demonstrable role. However, the precise functions of mast cells in such responses remain largely unknown. The recent discovery that mast cells can produce and release a variety, of multifunctional cytokines points to new mechanisms by which mast cells might significantly influence multiple aspects of either IgE-dependent or Igl=-independent responds.
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