The immune system plays a fundamental role at mucosal barriers in maintaining tissue homeostasis. This is particularly true for the gut where cells are flooded with microbial-derived signals and antigens, which constantly challenge the integrity of the intestinal barrier. Multiple immune cell populations equipped with both pro- and anti-inflammatory functions reside in the gut tissue and these cells tightly regulate intestinal health and functions. Dysregulation of this finely tuned system can progressively lead to autoimmune disease and inflammation-driven carcinogenesis. Over the last decade, the contribution of the adaptive immune system in controlling colorectal cancer has been studied in detail, but the role of the innate system, particularly innate lymphoid cells (ILCs), have been largely overlooked. By sensing their microenvironment, ILCs are essential in supporting gut epithelium repair and controling bacterial- and helminth-mediated intestinal infections, highlighting their important role in maintaining tissue integrity. Accumulating evidence also suggests that they may play an important role in carcinogenesis including intestinal cancers. In this review, we will explore the current knowledge about the pro- and anti-tumor functions of ILCs in colorectal cancer.

免疫系统在维持组织动态平衡的黏膜屏障中起着基本作用。对于肠道中微生物源性信号和抗原充斥着细胞的肠道尤其如此，它们不断挑战肠道屏障的完整性。多种同时具有促炎和抗炎功能的免疫细胞位于肠道组织中，这些细胞紧密调节肠道的健康和功能。这种微调系统的调节异常会逐渐导致自身免疫性疾病和炎症驱动的癌变。在过去的十年中，已经对适应性免疫系统在控制结直肠癌中的作用进行了详细研究，但是先天系统，特别是先天淋巴样细胞（ILC）的作用却被大大忽略了。通过感知他们的微环境，ILC在支持肠道上皮修复和控制细菌和蠕虫介导的肠道感染中至关重要，突出了它们在维持组织完整性中的重要作用。越来越多的证据表明它们可能在包括肠癌在内的癌变过程中发挥重要作用。在这篇综述中，我们将探索有关ILC在结直肠癌中的抗肿瘤功能的最新知识。