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DAMPs, PAMPs and alarmins: all we need to know about danger

Marco E Bianchi1

  • 1San Raffaele University, Chromatin Dynamics Unit, via Olgettina 58, 20132 Milan, Italy. bianchi.marco@hsr.it

Journal of Leukocyte Biology
|October 13, 2006
PubMed

Insights

Multicellular animals use damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) to detect tissue damage from trauma. These DAMPs, including alarmins, signal danger similarly to pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs).

Area of Science:

  • Immunology
  • Cell Biology
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • Multicellular organisms possess receptors for pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) to detect infections.
  • Tissue damage, not solely from pathogens but also from trauma, triggers cellular responses.
  • Intracellular proteins released from damaged cells are recognized via receptor-mediated pathways.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To propose a new term, "alarmin," for endogenous molecules signaling cell and tissue damage.
  • To explore the secretion of alarmins by immune cells.
  • To establish a unifying concept of damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs).

Main Methods:

  • Literature review and synthesis of existing evidence on cellular damage detection.
  • Analysis of immune cell activation and signaling pathways.
  • Conceptual framework development for DAMPs.

Main Results:

  • Alarmins are endogenous molecules released from damaged cells, signaling danger.
  • Immune cells can secrete alarmins through nonclassical pathways upon activation.
  • Both alarmins and PAMPs elicit similar biological responses.

Conclusions:

  • Alarmins represent a critical class of damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs).
  • The signaling pathways for PAMPs and alarmins share functional similarities.
  • DAMPs, encompassing both alarmins and PAMPs, provide a unified view of danger signaling in innate and adaptive immunity.

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