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Updated: Jul 6, 2026

Analyzing the Functions of Mast Cells In Vivo Using 'Mast Cell Knock-in' Mice
Published on: May 27, 2015
Mast cell transcriptional networks
Clifford M Takemoto1, Youl-Nam Lee, Anil G Jegga
1Division of Pediatric Hematology, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA. ctakemot@jhmi.edu
Abstract:
Unregulated activation of mast cells can contribute to the pathogenesis of inflammatory and allergic diseases, including asthma, rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, and multiple sclerosis. Absence of mast cells in animal models can lead to impairment in the innate immune response to parasites and bacterial infections. Aberrant clonal accumulation and proliferation of mast cells can result in a variety of diseases ranging from benign cutaneous mastocytosis to systemic mastocytosis or mast cell leukemia. Understanding mast cell differentiation provides important insights into mechanisms of lineage selection during hematopoiesis and can provide targets for new drug development to treat mast cell disorders. In this review, we discuss controversies related to development, sites of origin, and the transcriptional program of mast cells.
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