Hallmarks of Tissue-Resident Lymphocytes

Abstract

Although they are classically viewed as continuously recirculating through the lymphoid organs and blood, lymphocytes also establish residency in non-lymphoid tissues, most prominently at barrier sites, including the mucosal surfaces and skin. These specialized tissue-resident lymphocyte subsets span the innate-adaptive continuum and include innate lymphoid cells (ILCs), unconventional T cells (e.g., NKT, MAIT, γδ T cells, and CD8αα(+) IELs), and tissue-resident memory T (T(RM)) cells. Although these diverse cell types differ in the particulars of their biology, they nonetheless exhibit important shared features, including a role in the preservation of tissue integrity and function during homeostasis, infection, and non-infectious perturbations. In this Review, we discuss the hallmarks of tissue-resident innate, innate-like, and adaptive lymphocytes, as well as their potential functions in non-lymphoid organs.