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Updated: Jul 1, 2026

Analyzing the Functions of Mast Cells In Vivo Using 'Mast Cell Knock-in' Mice
Published on: May 27, 2015
The multiple roles of phosphoinositide 3-kinase in mast cell biology
Mi-Sun Kim1, Madeleine Rådinger, Alasdair M Gilfillan
1Laboratory of Allergic Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
Abstract:
Mast cells play a central role in the initiation of inflammatory responses associated with asthma and other allergic disorders. Receptor-mediated mast cell growth, differentiation, homing to their target tissues, survival and activation are all controlled, to varying degrees, by phosphoinositide-3-kinase (PI3K)-driven pathways. It is not fully understood how such diverse responses can be differentially regulated by PI3K. However, recent studies have provided greater insight into the mechanisms that control, and those that are controlled by, different PI3K subunit isoforms in mast cells. In this review, we discuss how PI3K influences the mast cell processes described above. Furthermore, we describe how different mast cell receptors use alternative isoforms of PI3K for these functions and discuss potential downstream targets of these isoforms.
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