Abstract

Mast cells are important effector cells of the immune system and recent studies show that they have immunomodulatory roles in diverse processes in both health and disease. Mast cells are distinguished by their high content of electron-dense secretory granules, which are filled with large amounts of preformed and pre-activated immunomodulatory compounds. When appropriately activated, mast cells undergo degranulation, a process by which these preformed granule compounds are rapidly released into the surroundings. In many cases, the effects that mast cells have on an immune response are closely associated with the biological actions of the granule compounds that they release, as exemplified by the recent studies showing that mast cell granule proteases account for many of the protective and detrimental effects of mast cells in various inflammatory settings. In this Review, we discuss the current knowledge of mast cell secretory granules.

Published in

Nature Reviews Immunology
2014, Volume: 14, number: 7, pages: 478-494
Publisher: NATURE PUBLISHING GROUP

SLU Authors

• Wernersson, Sara

  • Department of Animal Biosciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

• Pejler, Gunnar

  • Department of Animal Biosciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

UKÄ Subject classification

Immunology


Publication identifier

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nri3690

Permanent link to this page (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/60800