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Cells have immune responses that detect and restrict infections by intracellular pathogens.These responses can be passive or active, allowing cells to block bacterial and viral invasion and replication (1). Immune responses to foreign and self-antigens require specific and balanced responses to clear pathogens and tumors and yet maintain tolerance (2).
The selectivity of the immune response is dictated by sensors that recognize the stimulus, by the downstream signaling pathways, and by the transcriptional and chromatin regulators activated by these pathways (3, 4, 5, 6, 7).
Different types of immune responses are specialized based on the type of pathogen:
Type 3 immunity involves immune cells that produce specific cytokines, like Interleukin-17 Family / Interleukin-17 (IL-17) and IL-10 family cytokines, which help strengthen the body's defenses by acting on non-immune cells, such as barrier epithelial cells (10, 11, 12).
Epithelial and endothelial cells serve as the first line of defense, maintaining host barrier integrity. These cells can initiate innate immune responses, often triggered by antimicrobial cytokines like interferons, to limit pathogen replication and movement (1).
When the immune system becomes overly active and pro-inflammatory, it can lead to immune dysregulation. This dysregulation is associated with a variety of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. Serum amyloid A proteins cause the formation of pathogenic CD4+ Th17 cells, which in turn contribute to the development of inflammatory diseases (8, 9).
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(4) Glass & Natoli 2016 Nat. Immunol. 17: 26-33
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(12) Sonnenberg et al. 2011 Immunity 34:122–134
see also:
Biological effects / Functions & Interleukin-22 (IL-22)
Lymphoid Tissue Inducer Cells (LTi cells)