title: Immunity at mucosal surfaces.
abstract: The mucosae form a barrier between our bodies and a hostile external environment. Diseases and extrinsic factors which impair mucosal function may lead to serious consequences. The mucosal immune system is the primary mediator of specific immunity at mucosal surfaces. As such, it is responsible for maintaining homeostasis and for defense against both overt and opportunistic pathogens. For this reason, it is also the target of many new vaccine strategies for the induction of mucosal immunity. This brief review will examine the mucosal immune system, its role in maintaining the integrity of the mucosa, and some of the strategies aimed at enhancing specific immunity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville 32610, USA.
authors.forename: T A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Brown
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D001428:Bacterial Vaccines; D006801:Humans; D007108:Immune Tolerance; D018928:Immunity, Mucosal; D007071:Immunoglobulin A, Secretory / Q000502:physiology*; D009061:Mouth Mucosa / Q000276:immunology; D016966:Porphyromonas gingivalis / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D001428:Bacterial Vaccines; D007071:Immunoglobulin A, Secretory