Open AccessHow important are Toll‐like receptors for antimicrobial responses?
Author(s) -
Carpenter Susan,
O'Neill Luke A. J.
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
cellular microbiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.542
H-Index - 138
eISSN - 1462-5822
pISSN - 1462-5814
DOI - 10.1111/j.1462-5822.2007.00965.x
Subject(s) - biology , innate immune system , toll , receptor , immune system , immunology , toll like receptor , pattern recognition receptor , antimicrobial , first line , infectious disease (medical specialty) , disease , microbiology and biotechnology , genetics , medicine , pathology
Summary The innate immune system is the primary line of defence against invading pathogenic microbes. Toll‐like receptors (TLRs) are a family of membrane receptors which play a pivotal role in sensing a wide range of invading pathogens including bacteria, fungi and viruses. TLR‐deficient mice have provided us with immense knowledge on the functioning of individual TLRs. Dysregulation of TLR signalling is linked with a number of disease conditions. Disease models have helped show that targeting components of TLR signalling cascades could lead to novel therapies in the treatment of infectious diseases. In this review we focus on the evidence provided to date to explain just how important TLRs are in host defence against microbial pathogens.