cell
Eosinophil
Type 2 granulocyte linking parasite defense, allergy, epithelial injury, and repair signaling
Review layer
Last reviewed 2026-05-17
Systems teaching draft. Content is structured for education and graph expansion, with formal source tagging ready for the next review pass.
State signature
Systems profile
Graph neighborhood
Direct relationships
Type 2 tissue amplification
Eosinophil maturation, survival, and tissue persistence
Network behavior
Systems Overview
Eosinophils are tissue-infiltrating granulocytes that release cationic granule proteins, lipid mediators, and cytokines in helminth defense, allergic inflammation, and remodeling.
Lineage
Origin
HSC -> granulocyte-monocyte progenitor -> eosinophil progenitor -> mature eosinophil
Transcription factors: GATA1, C/EBPα, PU.1
Lifecycle Visualizer
days
Marrow differentiation
IL-5-responsive granulopoiesis
hours
Circulation
Recruitable pool
days
Tissue activation
Granule and lipid mediator effector
days-weeks
Resolution or persistence
Apoptosis or chronic survival
Activation and Suppression
Surface and Secreted Signals
Metabolic State
Programs
Acute: IL-5 and eotaxin cues support recruitment, survival, and degranulation.
Chronic: Persistent epithelial alarmins and type 2 cytokines sustain remodeling and tissue injury.
Tissue Roles
gut: Baseline resident pools contribute to barrier tone and helminth defense.
lung: Airway eosinophilia drives mucus, bronchial reactivity, and epithelial injury.
skin: Participates in itch, dermatitis, and allergic tissue remodeling.
adipose: May support type 2 metabolic homeostasis in lean adipose niches.
Disease Associations
Clinical Pearls
- Eosinophilia points toward type 2 cytokine ecology, not just allergy.
- IL-5 controls survival and recruitment; IL-13 often explains tissue remodeling.
- Tissue eosinophils can be more clinically relevant than blood counts.