Clinical and experimental allergy : journal of the British Society for Allergy and Clinical Immunology
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Mast cells (MCs) play a central role in tissue homoeostasis, sensing the local environment through numerous innate cell surface receptors. This enables them to respond rapidly to perceived tissue insults with a view to initiating a co-ordinated programme of inflammation and repair. ⋯ In asthma, there is strong evidence of ongoing MC activation, and their mediators and cell-cell signals are capable of regulating many facets of asthma pathophysiology. This article reviews the evidence behind this.