FOR 729: Anti-infective Effector Programmes: Signals and Mediators

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

The physiological task of the immune system is the eradication of pathogens through the activation and execution of adequate immunological effector programmes. As a prerequisite of the execution of anti-infective effector programmes the invading pathogens (bacteria, viruses, fungi, protozoa, helminthes) must be sensed and identified. Immediately afterwards, recruitment of the adequate humoral and cellular components of the immune system takes place, which are essential for the initiation of the effector programmes that mediate a protective immune response. Through coevolution especially intracellularly replicating pathogens have developed strategies that circumvent or block the execution of immune effector programmes. While the gain of knowledge of mechanisms for the recognition of pathogens have made great progress during the last years (pathogen associated molecular patterns/toll like receptors), advances in the understanding of the molecular mechanisms responsible for the eradication of pathogens as well as the modulation and inactivation of these mechanisms through pathogens have been rather limited.