The adaptive immune response

Macrophage function as sensors is essential for the elimination of pathogens, and also for the regulation of the adaptive immune response and of the inflammatory response [94]. 

Medzhitov, R. and Janeway, C.A. (1999) Innate immunity impact on the adaptive immune response. Current Opinion in Immunology 9, 4-9. 

Host Defense Peptides and the Adaptive Immune Response 198... 

Given the common and sometimes fatal weakness of the adaptive immune response in its interaction with infectious agents, various means to enhance the activity of the immune system have been developed. One, and the oldest, of these approaches is vaccination, which started in 1796 with Jenner s cowpox vaccine (8) and is of course ongoing today. 

The defense system of the airways includes both the innate, nonadaptive defense at the level of the mucociliary system and the adaptive immune response. Special attention will be given to the innate defense system as an important first-line defense against inhaled microorganisms. 

Medzhitov R, Janeway CA Innate immunity Impact on the adaptive immune response. Curr Opin Immunol 1997 9 4-9. 

Alileche, A., Serfass, E.R., Muehlhauer, S.M., Porcelli, S.A., Brojatsch, J. (2005). Anthrax lethal toxin-mediated killing of human and murine dendritic cells impairs the adaptive immune response. PLoS Pathogens 1 150-8. 

NK cells are believed to protect against viral invasions at an early stage of an infection before the adaptive immune response is fully activated (Biron, 1997). Therefore, it is conceivable that impaired NK cell activity would result in... 

Mice have been used extensively to examine virus host interactions, and to examine virus-induced encephalitis. The adaptive immune response plays a crucial role in controlling WNV infections in mice, including encephalitis (Diamond et al., 2003 Shresta and Diamond, 2004 Wang et al., 2003). WNV infection leads to a Toll-like receptor 3-dq3endent inflammatory response, which promotes brain penetration of the virus, neuronal injury, and enhanced encephalitis (Wang et al., 2004). Since Toll-like receptor 3 recognizes double-stranded RNA and promotes an innate immune response, this finding... 

Iwasaki A, Medzhitov R (2004) Toll-like receptor control of the adaptive immune responses. Nat hnmunol 5 987—995. 

The immune system plays a central role in the pathogenesis of prion infection. In the acquired human prion diseases, it is the initial site of agent replication prior to entry into the nervous system but the immune system does not appear to be essential in the pathogenesis of the familial and sporadic human prion diseases. Followdng peripheral exposure to the prion agent, the immune system can amplify prion infection but, interestingly, the adaptive immune response does not play a role in the clearance of the prion agent. 

The immnne systan thus applies both the innate and the adaptive immune responses as combined host defense mechanisms that operate in the periphery and in tissues including the brain. The main feature of adaptive immunity is its elasticity in generating diverse and yet specific immune responses. 

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