The prostaglandin D₂ receptor CRTH2 regulates accumulation of group 2 innate lymphoid cells in the inflamed lung.

Abstract

Group 2 innate lymphoid cells (ILC2s) promote type 2 cytokine-dependent immunity, inflammation and tissue repair. While epithelial cell-derived cytokines regulate ILC2 effector functions, the pathways that control the in vivo migration of ILC2s into inflamed tissues remain poorly understood. Here, we provide the first demonstration that expression of the prostaglandin D2 (PGD2) receptor CRTH2 (chemoattractant receptor homologous molecule expressed on Th2 cells) regulates the in vivo accumulation of ILC2s in the lung. While a significant proportion of ILC2s isolated from healthy human peripheral blood expressed CRTH2, a smaller proportion of ILC2s isolated from non-diseased human lung expressed CRTH2, suggesting that dynamic regulation of CRTH2 expression might be associated with the migration of ILC2s into tissues. Consistent with this, murine ILC2s expressed CRTH2, migrated towards PGD2 in vitro and accumulated in the lung in response to PGD2 in vivo. Further, mice deficient in CRTH2 exhibited reduced ILC2 responses and inflammation in a murine model of helminth-induced pulmonary type 2 inflammation. Critically, adoptive transfer of CRTH2-sufficient ILC2s restored pulmonary inflammation in CRTH2-deficient mice. Together, these data identify a role for the PGD2-CRTH2 pathway in regulating the in vivo accumulation of ILC2s and the development of type 2 inflammation in the lung.