Cellular and Molecular Gastroenterology and Hepatology (Jan 2023)

Mucosal-Associated Invariant T Cells in the Digestive System: Defender or Destroyer?Summary

  • Hejiao Zhang,
  • Haiyuan Shen,
  • Liangliang Zhou,
  • Linxi Xie,
  • Derun Kong,
  • Hua Wang

Journal volume & issue
Vol. 15, no. 4
pp. 809 – 819

Abstract

Read online

Mucosal-associated invariant T (MAIT) cells are a subset of innate T lymphocytes that express the semi-invariant T cell receptor and recognize riboflavin metabolites via the major histocompatibility complex class I–related protein. Given the abundance of MAIT cells in the human body, their role in human diseases has been increasingly studied in recent years. MAIT cells may serve as targets for clinical therapy. Specifically, this review discusses how MAIT cells are altered in gastric, esophageal, intestinal, and hepatobiliary diseases and describes their protective or pathogenic roles. A greater understanding of MAIT cells will provide a more favorable therapeutic approach for digestive diseases in the clinical field.

Keywords