Mouse models of allergic diseases: TSLP and its functional roles

The cytokine TSLP was originally identified in a murine thymic stromal cell line as a lymphoid growth factor. After the discovery of TSLP, extensive molecular genetic analyses and gene targeting experiments have demonstrated that TSLP plays an essential role in allergic diseases. In this review, we discuss the current status of TSLP and its functional role in allergic diseases particularly by focusing on effects of TSLP on haematopoietic cells in mouse models. It is our conclusion that a number of research areas, i.e., a new source of TSLP, effects of TSLP on non-haematopoietic and haematopoietic cells, synergistic interactions of cytokines including IL-25 and IL-33 and a regulation of TSLP expression and its function, are critically needed to understand the whole picture of TSLP involvement in allergic diseases. The mouse models will thus contribute further to our understanding of TSLP involvement in allergic diseases and development of therapeutic measures for human allergic diseases.