Selected recent advances in understanding the role of human mast cells in health and disease

Francesca Levi-Schaffer*, Bernhard F. Gibbs, Jenny Hallgren, Carlo Pucillo, Frank Redegeld, Frank Siebenhaar, Joana Vitte, Soraya Mezouar, Moïse Michel, Pier Giorgio Puzzovio, Marcus Maurer

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

21 Scopus citations

Abstract

Mast cells are highly granular tissue-resident cells and key drivers of inflammation, particularly in allergies as well as in other inflammatory diseases. Most mast cell research was initially conducted in rodents but has increasingly shifted to the human system, with the advancement of research technologies and methodologies. Today we can analyze primary human cells including rare subpopulations, we can produce and maintain mast cells isolated from human tissues, and there are several human mast cell lines. These tools have substantially facilitated our understanding of their role and function in different organs in both health and disease. We can now define more clearly where human mast cells originate from, how they develop, which mediators they store, produce de novo, and release, how they are activated and by which receptors, and which neighboring cells they interact with and by which mechanisms. Considerable progress has also been made regarding the potential contribution of mast cells to disease, which, in turn, has led to the development of novel approaches for preventing key pathogenic effects of mast cells, heralding the era of mast cell–targeted therapeutics. In this review, we present and discuss a selection of some of the most significant advancements and remaining gaps in our understanding of human mast cells during the last 25 years, with a focus on clinical relevance.

Original languageAmerican English
Pages (from-to)1833-1844
Number of pages12
JournalJournal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology
Volume149
Issue number6
Early online date8 Mar 2022
DOIs
StatePublished - Jun 2022

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
F.L.-S. received funding from the Rosetrees Trust (UK), Aimwell Charitable Trust (UK), Israel Science Foundation (grant no. 442/18), Israel Ministry of Science & Technology , and Emalie Gutterman Memorial Endowed Fund for COPD Related Research (USA). F.L.S. is affiliated with the Adolph and Klara Brettler Center for Molecular Pharmacology and Therapeutics at the School of Pharmacy of The Hebrew University of Jerusalem . J.H. received funding from the Swedish Research Council , Swedish Heart-Lung Foundation , Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation , Malin and Lennart Philipson Foundation , Konsul ThC Bergh’s Foundation , Hans von Kantzow Foundation , Ruth och Nils-Erik Stenbäck Foundation , and Mary Kay Foundation . J.V. received personal funding as associate professor from Aix-Marseille University, Faculty of Medicine, Marseille, France, MEPHI, IHU Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France, and University Hospitals of Marseille, Marseille, France; is a nonpaid visiting researcher at IDESP INSERM UMR UA 11, University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France; and received research grants from Fondation de France/Agence Nationale pour la Recherche , IHU Méditerranée Infection, French Society of Allergology , and European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology . S.M. received personal funding as a researcher from Aix-Marseille University, Marseille, France. M.M. received personal funding as an associate practitioner from University Hospitals of Nimes, Nîmes, France.

Funding Information:
F.L.-S. received funding from the Rosetrees Trust (UK), Aimwell Charitable Trust (UK), Israel Science Foundation (grant no. 442/18), Israel Ministry of Science & Technology, and Emalie Gutterman Memorial Endowed Fund for COPD Related Research (USA). F.L.S. is affiliated with the Adolph and Klara Brettler Center for Molecular Pharmacology and Therapeutics at the School of Pharmacy of The Hebrew University of Jerusalem. J.H. received funding from the Swedish Research Council, Swedish Heart-Lung Foundation, Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation, Malin and Lennart Philipson Foundation, Konsul ThC Bergh's Foundation, Hans von Kantzow Foundation, Ruth och Nils-Erik Stenbäck Foundation, and Mary Kay Foundation. J.V. received personal funding as associate professor from Aix-Marseille University, Faculty of Medicine, Marseille, France, MEPHI, IHU Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France, and University Hospitals of Marseille, Marseille, France; is a nonpaid visiting researcher at IDESP INSERM UMR UA 11, University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France; and received research grants from Fondation de France/Agence Nationale pour la Recherche, IHU Méditerranée Infection, French Society of Allergology, and European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. S.M. received personal funding as a researcher from Aix-Marseille University, Marseille, France. M.M. received personal funding as an associate practitioner from University Hospitals of Nimes, Nîmes, France.

Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology

Keywords

  • Allergy
  • cancer
  • human mast cells
  • receptors
  • signal transduction

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