Development of human plasmacytoid dendritic cells and innate lymphoid cells

Innate immune cells play crucial role in the front line of defense against pathogens and harmful substances to protect the human body. One particular subtype are the innate lymphocytes which are characterized by an absence of rearranged antigen specific receptors. Innate lymphocytes have the ability to directly eliminate infected cells and to efficiently coordinate the advanced immune response during infections. In steady state innate lymphocytes are important for the immune tolerance, immune surveillance, maintenance and repair of damaged tissues. Dysregulation of their functions leads to chronic inflammation, autoimmune disease as well as cancer. It is therefore important to understand the essential factors involved in innate lymphocyte development and functionality. Ultimately this will provide clues on how to treat or prevent the aforementioned diseases. In this thesis we described the transcription factors involved in the development of human innate lymphocytes, namely natural killer (NK) cells, innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) and, plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs). Furthermore, the cytokines that control ILCs plasticity are investigated.