Lung Eosinophils Play Protective and Beneficial Role

The discovery of these specific eosinophils offers promising therapeutic and prophylactic opportunities for the treatment and prevention of asthma.

The team discovered this sub-type of eosinophil in mice and subsequently in humans. In mice, the nucleus of these resident eosinophils appears as a ring shape or doughnut shape, which makes them easily distinguishable from the other inflammatory eosinophils. In humans, all eosinophils have the same morphology, which could explain why the sub-types have only just been discovered. The scientists have also demonstrated, in both mice and humans, that the resident eosinophils carry an identical marker on their surface, the protein L-selectin or CD62L, which means that they are easily distinguishable from inflammatory eosinophils. Cell phenotyping and cell sorting were performed on a FACSAria III (BD Biosciences, San Jose, CA, USA).

Fabrice Bureau, DVM, PhD, a professor and senior author of the study said, “In the future, the question is to know how to facilitate the production of resident eosinophils, rather than inflammatory eosinophils, in the bone marrow. Indeed, by acting at the top of the cascade, we will have new weapons for the prevention of inflammatory diseases such as allergies or autoimmune diseases.” The study was published on August 22, 2016, in The Journal of Clinical Investigation.

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