Open AccessToll gates: An emerging therapeutic target
Author(s) -
Maheaswari Rajendran,
Kiruthika Sivasankar,
Sathya Subbarayan
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
journal of indian society of periodontology (print)/journal of indian society of periodontology (online)
Language(s) - Uncategorized
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.309
H-Index - 28
eISSN - 0975-1580
pISSN - 0972-124X
DOI - 10.4103/0972-124x.147398
Subject(s) - innate immune system , medicine , immunology , tlr7 , toll like receptor , immune system , periodontitis , acquired immune system , immunity , first line , adjuvant , inflammation
Innate immune system forms the first line of defense against microbial infections, as it exerts an immediate response. Innate immunity works through Toll-like receptors (TLRs) which functions as primary sensors of pathogens. TLR activates multiple signaling cascades leading to the induction of genes responsible for the release of inflammatory cytokines and type I interferon. Thus, they induce antimicrobial responses and also have an instructive role in adaptive immunity. However, TLR-mediated inflammation is said to be responsible for many of the destructive host responses in inflammatory diseases like periodontitis. Hence, therapeutics targeting TLRs are being used to treat disease such as HIV, Hepatitis B, asthma etc. Recently, synthetic TLR agonists are tried as novel vaccine adjuvant in treating periodontal diseases. This paper reviews the scope of TLR-based therapeutics in treating periodontitis.