title: Directing the immune system with chemical compounds.
abstract: Agonists of immune cell receptors direct innate and adaptive immunity. These agonists range in size and complexity from small molecules to large macromolecules. Here, agonists of a class of immune cell receptors known as the Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are highlighted focusing on the distinctive molecular moieties that pertain to receptor binding and activation. How the structure and combined chemical signals translate into a variety of immune responses remain major questions in the field. In this structure-focused review, we outline potential areas where the tools of chemical biology could help decipher the emerging molecular codes that direct immune stimulation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, and Biomedical Engineering, University of California Irvine , 1102 Natural Sciences 2, Irvine, California 92697-2025, United States.
authors.forename: Rock J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Mancini
authors.forename: Lalisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Stutts
authors.forename: Keun Ah
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Ryu
authors.forename: Janine K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Tom
authors.forename: Aaron P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Esser-Kahn
mesh_terms: D056704:Adaptive Immunity / Q000187:drug effects; D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D007107:Immune System / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D007113:Immunity, Innate / Q000187:drug effects; D008958:Models, Molecular; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects; D051193:Toll-Like Receptors / Q000819:agonists* / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D051193:Toll-Like Receptors