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Introduction to Innate and Adaptive Immunity01:21

Introduction to Innate and Adaptive Immunity

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The human immune system is a complex defense mechanism that protects the body from harmful pathogens and foreign substances. It comprises two crucial components: innate and adaptive immunity.
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The adaptive immune system, a crucial component of the overall immune response, offers a highly specialized defense against pathogens. It involves specific cell types and features, enabling it to combat infections effectively and efficiently.
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The T and B lymphocytes of the adaptive immune system develop from common lymphoid progenitor cells in the bone marrow. These progenitors give rise to precursors that eventually develop into both T and B lymphocytes. As these precursors mature, they gain the ability to detect and respond to foreign antigens in the body, a process known as immunocompetence. Additionally, these precursors acquire self-tolerance, a process that ensures they do not react to self-antigens. This intricate system...
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An antigen is any substance the immune system identifies as foreign and potentially harmful to the body, prompting an immune response. Antigens have two functional properties: immunogenicity and reactivity. Immunogenicity is the ability of an antigen to stimulate a specific immune response. At the same time, reactivity describes the antigen's ability to react with the cells and antibodies produced in response to it.
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Robust control of the adaptive immune system.

Harikesh S Wong1, Ronald N Germain1

  • 1Lymphocyte Biology Section, Laboratory of Systems Biology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892-1892, USA.

Seminars in Immunology
|January 2, 2018
PubMed
Summary

The adaptive immune system achieves robust responses despite cell variability using layered control schemes. These strategies ensure reproducible pathogen defense and self-tolerance by managing dynamic T cell behaviors.

Keywords:
Cell-to-cell variabilityImmunologyReceptor biophysicsRobustnessSystems biologyαβ T cells

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Area of Science:

  • Immunology
  • Cellular Biology
  • Systems Biology

Background:

  • The adaptive immune system must reliably combat pathogens while avoiding self-damage.
  • Immune components, like alpha-beta (αβ) T lymphocytes, exhibit significant cell-to-cell variability in dynamics, receptors, and protein levels.
  • Understanding how the immune system maintains consistent function amid this inherent variability is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore the concept of robustness in biological systems, specifically within the adaptive immune response.
  • To discuss the control schemes employed by αβ T lymphocytes to achieve reproducible functions despite internal fluctuations.
  • To examine the application of these robustness principles at both individual T cell and population levels.

Main Methods:

  • Conceptual analysis of immune system dynamics and variability.
  • Review of existing literature on T cell behavior and control mechanisms.
  • Discussion of robustness principles in the context of adaptive immunity.

Main Results:

  • Identified layered control schemes as key to immune system robustness.
  • Demonstrated how these schemes buffer and utilize cellular variation for consistent function.
  • Highlighted the applicability of these principles to both single-cell and population-level immune responses.

Conclusions:

  • Robust immune function is achieved through sophisticated control mechanisms that manage inherent cellular variability.
  • Layered control schemes allow αβ T cells to maintain reproducible responses despite dynamic internal states.
  • These principles are fundamental to understanding adaptive immunity and developing targeted immunotherapies.