Toll-like receptors

Abstract

The study results of the last 10-12 years have established that the activity of the nonspecific immunological protection system is based on a limited set of specific membrane receptors, which have been called molecular ‘pattern recognition receptors’ (PRRs) that recognize pathogen associated molecular patterns (PAMPs). After the detection of PAMPs PRRs trigger an inflammatory response that leads to the destruction of pathogens. Toll-like receptors (TLRs) refer to PRRs, along with three other families: NOD-Like receptors, RIG-I-Like receptors and C-type Lectin receptors. In humans, TLRs are present on dendritic cells, macrophages, neutrophils, B-lymphocytes, mast cells, enterocytes, some cells of the central nervous system (astrocytes), hepatocytes, etc. The attempts have been made in order to obtain vaccines against microbes, as well as the vaccines designed to trigger or enhance an anti-tumor immune response by stimulating the TLRs and other similar receptors. The suppression or enhancement of TLRs activity is an important pathogenic mechanism, underlying many infectious or immunological diseases (including autoimmune). These mechanisms can be used for the further elaboration of new methods and algorithms for prevention, diagnosis and treatment of the mentioned diseases. Thus, not only strong fundamental data on the mechanisms of the innate immunity have been accumulated and the attempts to apply these results have been made, but also it has been managed to integrate the non-specific immunity mechanisms with the adaptive immunity and to found a new field in immunology - an integrated immunology, which creates the background for new therapeutic, diagnostic and preventive strategies in the future.