Courtesy of Luke A. O'Neill
Luke A. O'Neill
The march to demystify mammalian immunity has been long and arduous. At the frontlines we face a dizzying array of biochemicals and interactions between multiple cell types aimed at detecting, eliminating, and remembering intruders. The regulation of this system often appears impenetrable.
But recent advances in our understanding of innate immunity – that hard-wired, first line of defense that doesn't appear to adapt during infection – have served as a signal flare, rallying those discouraged by the system's complexity. As an initiating factor in the immune response, innate immunity offers an inroad to the entire system. Cracking its code may provide the tools necessary to decipher and define interactions throughout the chain of command.
Much of the activity is now focused on Toll-like receptors (TLRs), proteins on leukocytes that hook up with specific microbial products recognized as foreign.1 Once engaged they sound ...
