Innate immunity: ignored for decades, but not forgotten - PubMed (original) (raw)

Review

. 2012 Mar;132(3 Pt 2):882-6.

doi: 10.1038/jid.2011.373. Epub 2011 Dec 8.

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Review

Innate immunity: ignored for decades, but not forgotten

Robert L Modlin. J Invest Dermatol. 2012 Mar.

Abstract

The innate immune system must recognize and rapidly respond to microbial pathogens, providing a first line of host defense. This is accomplished through an array of pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) that reside in specific subcellular compartments and can bind pathogen-associated molecular patterns. PRRs also recognize self-molecules that are released after cell damage or death, known as danger-associated molecular patterns, which can be actively transported across cell membranes. The activation of PRRs leads to host defense pathways in infectious diseases, but can also contribute to tissue injury in autoimmune diseases. The identification of these pathways has provided new insight into mechanisms of vaccination and holds promise for developing better vaccines. Finally, the identification of PRRs, their ligands, and signaling pathways provides an opportunity for developing new immunotherapeutic approaches to skin conditions in which activation of the innate immune response contributes to disease pathogenesis.

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Figures

Figure 1

Figure 1. Innate immune pathways of host defense in infection

Innate immune receptors reside in specific subcellular compartments, including cell surface, cytoplasmic and endocytic, providing the opportunity to recognize distinct microbial ligands. Some of the key pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) involved in skin disease are shown, along with some of their microbial ligands, pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs). Included are various TLRs (Toll-like receptors), NLRs (NOD-like receptors), RLRs (RIG-I like receptors). The activation of the innate immune system leads host immune responses that contribute to skin disease including the differentiation of monocytes into macrophage subsets, antimicrobial activity, dendritic cell differentiation and T cell differentiation. The key molecules involved in each process are shown.

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