Mast cells: Multifaceted immune cells with diverse roles in health and disease

Kavitha N. Rao, Melissa A. Brown

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapter

230 Scopus citations

Abstract

Mast cells were discovered more than 100 years ago and until recently, have been considered renegades of the host with the sole purpose of perpetuating allergy. The discovery of mast cell-deficient mice that could be reconstituted with mast cells (the so called "mast cell knock-in" mice) has allowed the study of the in vivo functions of mast cells and revealed several new facets of these cells. It is now evident that mast cells have a much broader impact on many physiological and pathologic processes. Mast cells, particularly through their dynamic interaction with the nervous system, have been implicated in wound healing, tissue remodeling, and homeostasis. Perhaps the most progress has been made in our understanding of the role of mast cells in immunity outside the realm of allergy, and host defense. Mast cells play critical roles in both innate and adaptive immunity, including immune tolerance. Greater insight into mast cell biology has prompted studies probing the additional consequences of mast cell dysfunction, which reveal a central role for mast cells in the pathogenesis of autoimmune disorders, cardiovascular disorders, and cancer. Here, we review recent developments in the study of mast cells, which present a complex picture of mast cell functions.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Title of host publicationThe Year in Immunology 2008
PublisherBlackwell Publishing Inc.
Pages83-104
Number of pages22
ISBN (Print)9781573317290
DOIs
StatePublished - Nov 2008

Publication series

NameAnnals of the New York Academy of Sciences
Volume1143
ISSN (Print)0077-8923
ISSN (Electronic)1749-6632

Keywords

  • Allergy
  • Autoimmune disease
  • Cancer
  • Cardiovascular disease
  • Degranulation
  • Homeostasis
  • Mast cells
  • Multiple sclerosis
  • Rheumatoid arthritis
  • Tissue remodeling

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology
  • General Neuroscience
  • History and Philosophy of Science

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