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Updated: Apr 22, 2026

Screening Bioactive Nanoparticles in Phagocytic Immune Cells for Inhibitors of Toll-like Receptor Signaling
Published on: July 26, 2017
Microbial sensing by Toll-like receptors and intracellular nucleic acid sensors
Surya Pandey1, Taro Kawai2, Shizuo Akira3
1Laboratory of Molecular Immunobiology, Graduate School of Biological Sciences, Nara Institute of Science and Technology (NAIST), Nara 630-0192, Japan Laboratory of Host Defense, WPI Immunology Frontier Research Center, Osaka University, Osaka 565-0871, Japan Department of Host Defense, Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, Osaka 565-0871, Japan.
Abstract:
Recognition of an invading pathogen is critical to elicit protective responses. Certain microbial structures and molecules, which are crucial for their survival and virulence, are recognized by different families of evolutionarily conserved pattern recognition receptors (PRRs). This recognition initiates a signaling cascade that leads to the transcription of inflammatory cytokines and chemokines to eliminate pathogens and attract immune cells, thereby perpetuating further adaptive immune responses. Considerable research on the molecular mechanisms underlying host-pathogen interactions has resulted in the discovery of multifarious PRRs. In this review, we discuss the recent developments in microbial recognition by Toll-like receptors (TLRs) and intracellular nucleic acid sensors and the signaling pathways initiated by them.
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