Innate lymphoid cells in autoimmunity: emerging regulators in rheumatic diseases

Key Points Innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) are important for the orchestration of immune responses against pathogens and the maintenance of tissue homeostasis, processes mediated mainly by cytokine crosstalk between ILCs and various cell types ILCs play a role in the initiation and exacerbation of autoimmune responses through the amplification of the IL-23–IL-17 cytokine axis ILC3s are emerging as plausible therapeutic targets in rheumatic disease as they are present in autoimmune inflamed tissue and ILC3-derived cytokines enhance disease-inflammatory processes Despite improved understanding of the role of ILCs in chronic inflammation, the mechanisms by which ILC might influence rheumatic disease processes remain poorly characterized