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Tolerance, danger, and the extended family
1Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Immunology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892.
Annual Review of Immunology
|January 1, 1994
Summary
The immune system may prioritize danger detection over self/non-self recognition. It collaborates with other bodily tissues through complex communication networks.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Cellular Biology
- Systems Biology
Background:
- The traditional view posits the immune system's main function is distinguishing self from non-self.
- This self/non-self paradigm has guided immunological research for decades.
Purpose of the Study:
- To propose a paradigm shift in understanding immune system function.
- To explore the hypothesis that the immune system's primary driver is danger detection, not self/non-self discrimination.
Main Methods:
- Conceptual analysis and theoretical discussion.
- Review of existing immunological principles.
- Integration of inter-tissue communication networks.
Main Results:
- The immune system's core function might be to sense and respond to danger signals.
- Immune responses are influenced by bidirectional communication with non-immune tissues.
- This extended network provides regulatory signals (both positive and negative) to the immune system.
Conclusions:
- Re-evaluating the immune system's primary goal as danger detection offers a new framework.
- The immune system operates as part of a larger, integrated network within the body.
- Understanding these inter-tissue communications is crucial for a comprehensive view of immunity.