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Updated: May 31, 2026

Intravital Imaging of Intraepithelial Lymphocytes in Murine Small Intestine
Published on: June 24, 2019
The light and dark sides of intestinal intraepithelial lymphocytes
Hilde Cheroutre1, Florence Lambolez, Daniel Mucida
1Laboratory of Developmental Immunology, La Jolla Institute for Allergy and Immunology, La Jolla, California 92037, USA. hilde@liai.org
Abstract:
The intraepithelial lymphocytes (IELs) that reside within the epithelium of the intestine form one of the main branches of the immune system. As IELs are located at this critical interface between the core of the body and the outside environment, they must balance protective immunity with an ability to safeguard the integrity of the epithelial barrier: failure to do so would compromise homeostasis of the organism. In this Review, we address how the unique development and functions of intestinal IELs allow them to achieve this balance.
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