More than a decade ago, type 2 innate lymphoid cells (ILC2s) were discovered to be members of a family of innate immune cells consisting of five subsets that form a first line of defence against infections before the recruitment of adaptive immune cells. Initially, ILC2s were implicated in the early immune response to parasitic infections, but it is now clear that ILC2s are highly diverse and have crucial roles in the regulation of tissue homeostasis and repair. ILC2s can also regulate the functions of other type 2 immune cells, including T helper 2 cells, type 2 macrophages and eosinophils. Dysregulation of ILC2s contributes to type 2-mediated pathology in a wide variety of diseases, potentially making ILC2s attractive targets for therapeutic interventions. In this Review, we focus on the spectrum of ILC2 phenotypes that have been described across different tissues and disease states with an emphasis on human ILC2s. We discuss recent insights in ILC2 biology and suggest how this knowledge might be used for novel disease treatments and improved human health.

十多年前，2 型先天性淋巴样细胞 (ILC2s) 被发现是先天免疫细胞家族的成员，该家族由五个亚群组成，在适应性免疫细胞募集之前形成抵御感染的第一道防线。最初，ILC2 与寄生虫感染的早期免疫反应有关，但现在很清楚，ILC2 具有高度多样性，并且在组织稳态和修复的调节中起着至关重要的作用。ILC2s 还可以调节其他 2 型免疫细胞的功能，包括 T 辅助细胞 2、2 型巨噬细胞和嗜酸性粒细胞。ILC2 的失调导致多种疾病中 2 型介导的病理学，可能使 ILC2 成为治疗干预的有吸引力的目标。在这篇评论中，我们专注于在不同组织和疾病状态中描述的 ILC2 表型谱，重点是人类 ILC2。我们讨论了最近对 ILC2 生物学的见解，并建议如何将这些知识用于新的疾病治疗和改善人类健康。