A model of dysregulated crosstalk between dendritic, natural killer, and regulatory T cells in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is characterized by infiltration of the airways and lung parenchyma by inflammatory cells. Lung pathology results from the cumulative effect of complex and aberrant interactions between multiple cell types. However, three cell types, natural killer cells (NK), dendritic cells (DCs), and regulatory T cells (Tregs), are understudied and underappreciated. We propose that their mutual interactions significantly contribute to the development of COPD. Here, we highlight recent advances in NK, DC, and Treg biology with relevance to COPD, discuss their pairwise bidirectional interactions, and identify knowledge gaps that must be bridged to develop novel therapies. Understanding their interactions will be crucial for therapeutic use of autologous Treg, an approach proving effective in other diseases with immune components.