Cells of the immune system
Summary
Cells of the immune system consist of innate immune cells and adaptive immune cells. Innate immune cells include dendritic cells (DCs), monocytes, macrophages, and natural killer (NK) cells as well as other myeloid and lymphoid cells. Adaptive immune cells are primarily composed of two types of lymphocytes, T cells and B cells, which clonally express a large repertoire of antigenic receptors. This chapter discusses key features of innate and adaptive immune cells in the allograft response, and how they interact with and regulate each other in tolerance induction. It explains the emerging role of innate immune cells in rejecting or protecting solid organ transplants, as well as the challenges and opportunities in targeting these cells to further improve transplant outcomes in the clinic. Future improvement in transplant outcomes will depend on new drugs and biologics to target various pathways of both the innate and adaptive arms of the immune system.
