Inactive X chromosome

Gitta Stockinger group project:

Plasticity of immune effector cells

Since the discovery of Th1 and Th2 effector T cell subsets 20 years ago, inducible regulatory T cells (iTreg) and Th17 T cells were added to the portfolio of helper T cells. It is unclear how many more effector T cell subsets there may be and to what degree their characteristics are fixed or flexible. Furthermore, it has become increasingly clear over the last couple of years that a ‘parallel universe’ of innate lymphoid cells exists that adopt functional specialisation similar to the T cell subsets.

We are using cytokine 'fate' reporter models to facilitate visualisation and isolation of cells that have committed to particular cytokine expression to study their plasticity in different inflammatory models in vivo. The IL-17 fate reporter mouse established the extensive plasticity of Th17 cells in autoimmunity with a tendency to deviate towards a Th1 like profile and the acquisition of additional cytokines involved in pathology driven by IL-23 (Hirota et al. 2011). The IL-9 fate reporter surprisingly revealed that innate lymphoid cells (ILC2) are the major producers of this cytokine in vivo and play an important role during inflammatory responses in the lung (Wilhelm et al 2011).

Hypothetical model for the function of IL-9 in regulation of ILC2

Hypothetical model for the function of IL-9 in regulation of ILC2

Click image to view at full-size

IL-9 production by ILC2 is induced by damaged ephithelial cells and promotes ILC2 survival as well as IL-5 and IL-13 production in an autocrine manner. In the adaptive phase of the immune response activated T cells provide IL-2, which enhances the production of IL-9 by ILC2. IL-5 and IL-13 promote classical features of the ‚type 2‘ immune response like eosinophil recruitment, mucus production, and mast cell accumulation.

Selected publications

Stockinger group

Recent publications

Research projects

Stockinger biography

Top of page

© MRC National Institute for Medical Research
The Ridgeway, Mill Hill, London NW7 1AA