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A Galleria mellonella Oral Administration Model to Study Commensal-Induced Innate Immune Responses
Published on: March 21, 2019
A new vision of immunity: homeostasis of the superorganism
1Department of Immunology, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France. gerard.eberl@pasteur.fr
Abstract:
The immune system is commonly perceived as an army of organs, tissues, cells, and molecules that protect from disease by eliminating pathogens. However, as in human society, a clear definition of good and evil might be sometimes difficult to achieve. Not only do we live in contact with a multitude of microbes, but we also live with billions of symbionts that span all the shades from mutualists to potential killers. Together, we compose a superorganism that is capable of optimal living. In that context, the immune system is not a killer, but rather a force that shapes homeostasis within the superorganism.
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