A calculated response: control of inflammation by the innate immune system
Gregory M. Barton
Gregory M. Barton
Published February 1, 2008
Citation Information: J Clin Invest. 2008;118(2):413-420. https://doi.org/10.1172/JCI34431.
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Category: Review Series

A calculated response: control of inflammation by the innate immune system

Abstract

Inflammation is a rapid yet coordinated response that can lead to the destruction of microbes and host tissue. Triggers capable of inducing an inflammatory response include tissue damage and infection by pathogenic and nonpathogenic microbes. Each of these triggers represents a qualitatively distinct stress to the host immune system, yet our understanding of whether they are interpreted as such remains poor. Accumulating evidence suggests that recognition of these distinct stimuli converges on many of the same receptors of the innate immune system. Here I provide an overview of these innate receptors and suggest that the innate immune system can interpret the context of an inflammatory trigger and direct inflammation accordingly.

Authors

Gregory M. Barton

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Figure 1

Pattern recognition by the innate immune system.

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Pattern recognition by the innate immune system. A schematic representat...
A schematic representation of the PRR families within the innate immune system. TLRs are transmembrane receptors, whereas Nods, Naips, Nalps, as well as the nucleic acid sensors RIG-I, MDA-5, and DAI-1 are all present in the cytosol. Most of these PRR families activate common transcription factors and induce the expression of proinflammatory genes. Members of the Nalp and Naip families control activation of the inflammasome, a multiprotein complex responsible for the processing and secretion of IL-1. Whether other PRR families can directly induce inflammasome activation remains controversial. Refer to the text for a discussion of the ligands recognized by each PRR family.