Eosinophil Knockout Humans: Uncovering the Role of Eosinophils Through Eosinophil-Directed Biological Therapies

The enigmatic eosinophil has emerged as an exciting component of the immune system, involved in a plethora of homeostatic and inflammatory responses. Substantial progress has been achieved through experimental systems manipulating eosinophils in vivo, initially in mice and more recently in humans. R...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Annual review of immunology 2021-04, Vol.39 (1), p.719-757
Main Authors: Jacobsen, Elizabeth A, Jackson, David J, Heffler, Enrico, Mathur, Sameer K, Bredenoord, Albert J, Pavord, Ian D, Akuthota, Praveen, Roufosse, Florence, Rothenberg, Marc E
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
biologic agents
Biological Therapy
eosinophil
eosinophil knockout
eosinophil-associated diseases
eosinophil-deficient mice
Eosinophils
Humans
IL-5
Mice
Mice, Knockout
Pharmaceutical Preparations
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Request full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:The enigmatic eosinophil has emerged as an exciting component of the immune system, involved in a plethora of homeostatic and inflammatory responses. Substantial progress has been achieved through experimental systems manipulating eosinophils in vivo, initially in mice and more recently in humans. Researchers using eosinophil knockout mice have identified a contributory role for eosinophils in basal and inflammatory processes and protective immunity. Primarily fueled by the purported proinflammatory role of eosinophils in eosinophil-associated diseases, a series of anti-eosinophil therapeutics have emerged as a new class of drugs. These agents, which dramatically deplete eosinophils, provide a valuable opportunity to characterize the consequences of eosinophil knockout humans. Herein, we comparatively describe mouse and human eosinophil knockouts. We put forth the view that human eosinophils negatively contribute to a variety of diseases and, unlike mouse eosinophils, do not yet have an identified role in physiological health; thus, clarifying all roles of eosinophils remains an ongoing pursuit.
ISSN:0732-0582
1545-3278
DOI:10.1146/annurev-immunol-093019-125918