What Can Be Learned from Discrepant Results in Mast Cell Research?

摘要

Mast cells have gradually become recognized as potential immunoregulatory cells which contribute not only to elicitation of the allergic response but also to innate and adaptive immunity to various pathogens. However, the accumulated data have uncovered complexities and a range of discrepancies in mast cell development and function. For example, the Th2 cytokines IL-4, IL-6, IL-10 and IL-13 have been confirmed, in a clearly contradictory manner, to both up-regulate and down-regulate mast cell development. The protective role of mast cell-derived TNF-cc in bacterial infection has also been put into question by recent findings. For novel insights into mast cell biology, it is essential that the mechanisms underlying such discrepancies are understood.