Protecting tissue integrity and enteric function: the case for type 2 inflammation and macrophages

Type 2 inflammation (T2I) accompanies many inflammatory diseases. In a recent issue of Cell, Ahrends et al. demonstrate that helminth-elicited T2I preserves excitatory neurons and enteric function through the expansion of Arginase-1 (Arg-1)-expressing macrophages, thereby extending our understanding of the protective functions that T2I can orchestrate in inflamed barrier tissue.