Tuft cells have gained substantial attention over the past 10 years due to numerous reports linking them with type 2 immunity and microorganism-sensing capacity in many mucosal tissues. This heightened interest is fuelled by their unique ability to produce an array of biological effector molecules, including IL-25, allergy-related eicosanoids, and the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, enabling downstream responses in diverse cell types. Operating through G protein-coupled receptor-mediated signalling pathways reminiscent of type II taste cells in oral taste buds, tuft cells emerge as chemosensory sentinels that integrate luminal conditions, eliciting appropriate responses in immune, epithelial and neuronal populations. How tuft cells promote tissue alterations and adaptation to the variety of stimuli at mucosal surfaces has been explored in multiple studies in the past few years. Since the initial recognition of the role of tuft cells, the discovery of diverse tuft cell effector functions and associated feedback loops have also revealed the complexity of tuft cell biology. Although earlier work largely focused on extraintestinal tissues, novel genetic tools and recent mechanistic studies on intestinal tuft cells established fundamental concepts of tuft cell activation and functions. This Review is an overview of intestinal tuft cells, providing insights into their development, signalling and interaction modules in immunity and other states.

由于大量报道将簇细胞与许多粘膜组织中的 2 型免疫和微生物感应能力联系起来，簇细胞在过去 10 年中受到了广泛关注。这种兴趣的增加是由于它们产生一系列生物效应分子的独特能力，包括 IL-25、过敏相关的类二十烷酸和神经递质乙酰胆碱，从而能够在不同的细胞类型中产生下游反应。通过 G 蛋白偶联受体介导的信号通路（让人想起口腔味蕾中的 II 型味觉细胞），簇细胞作为化学感应哨兵出现，整合管腔条件，在免疫、上皮和神经元群体中引发适当的反应。过去几年的多项研究已经探索了簇细胞如何促进组织改变和适应粘膜表面的各种刺激。自从最初认识簇细胞的作用以来，不同簇细胞效应功能和相关反馈回路的发现也揭示了簇细胞生物学的复杂性。尽管早期的工作主要集中在肠外组织，但新型遗传工具和最近对肠簇细胞的机制研究建立了簇细胞激活和功能的基本概念。这篇综述是对肠道簇细胞的概述，深入了解它们在免疫和其他状态下的发育、信号传导和相互作用模块。