Role of Notch signaling in regulating innate immunity and inflammation in health and disease

Abstract

The Notch signaling pathway is conserved from Droso- phila to mammals and is critically involved in develop- mental processes. In the immune system, it has been established that Notch signaling regulates multiple steps of T and B cell development in both central and peripheral lymphoid organs. Relative to the well docu- mented role of Notch signaling in lymphocyte develop- ment, less is known about its role in regulating myeloid lineage development and function, especially in the context of acute and chronic in fl ammation. In this review article, we will describe the evidence accumulated dur- ing the recent years to support a key regulatory role of the Notch pathway in innate immune and in fl ammatory responses and discuss the potential implications of such regulation for pathogenesis and therapy of in fl ammatory disorders.