| First Author | Spencer SP | Year | 2014 |
| Journal | Science | Volume | 343 |
| Issue | 6169 | Pages | 432-7 |
| PubMed ID | 24458645 | Mgi Jnum | J:207485 |
| Mgi Id | MGI:5558981 | Doi | 10.1126/science.1247606 |
| Citation | Spencer SP, et al. (2014) Adaptation of innate lymphoid cells to a micronutrient deficiency promotes type 2 barrier immunity. Science 343(6169):432-7 |
| abstractText | How the immune system adapts to malnutrition to sustain immunity at barrier surfaces, such as the intestine, remains unclear. Vitamin A deficiency is one of the most common micronutrient deficiencies and is associated with profound defects in adaptive immunity. Here, we found that type 3 innate lymphoid cells (ILC3s) are severely diminished in vitamin A-deficient settings, which results in compromised immunity to acute bacterial infection. However, vitamin A deprivation paradoxically resulted in dramatic expansion of interleukin-13 (IL-13)-producing ILC2s and resistance to nematode infection in mice, which revealed that ILCs are primary sensors of dietary stress. Further, these data indicate that, during malnutrition, a switch to innate type 2 immunity may represent a powerful adaptation of the immune system to promote host survival in the face of ongoing barrier challenges. |
