Assessing mucosal immunity with new concepts and innovative, time-honored strategies.
A healthy mucosal immune system prevents numerous diseases whether they are caused by pathogens or faulty tolerance to non-pathogenic antigens. Some methods for assessing immune responses have not changed for decades but have been applied in conjunction with new strategies. New methods have been developed recently that improve on existing mouse models and allow for assessment of cellular and molecular pathways that are involved in mucosal immune responses. Reviewed here are components of the mucosal immune system with attention paid to the gut-associated lymphoid tissue and some of the new methods for assessing immune responses.
Erickson
Kent L
KL
Department of Cell Biology and Human Anatomy, University of California, School of Medicine, Davis, California, USA. klerickson@ucdavis.edu
Hubbard
Neil E
NE
D000818:Animals; D001419:Bacteria / Q000276:immunology*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005767:Gastrointestinal Diseases / Q000276:immunology; D041981:Gastrointestinal Tract / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology*; D006801:Humans; D018928:Immunity, Mucosal / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology; D008221:Lymphoid Tissue / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D051193:Toll-Like Receptors / Q000276:immunology
D051193:Toll-Like Receptors