title: Innate immunity in vertebrates: an overview.
abstract: Innate immunity is a semi-specific and widely distributed form of immunity, which represents the first line of defence against pathogens. This type of immunity is critical to maintain homeostasis and prevent microbe invasion, eliminating a great variety of pathogens and contributing with the activation of the adaptive immune response. The components of innate immunity include physical and chemical barriers, humoral and cell-mediated components, which are present in all jawed vertebrates. The understanding of innate defence mechanisms in non-mammalian vertebrates is the key to comprehend the general picture of vertebrate innate immunity and its evolutionary history. This is also essential for the identification of new molecules with applications in immunopharmacology and immunotherapy. In this review, we describe and discuss the main elements of vertebrate innate immunity, presenting core findings in this field and identifying areas that need further investigation.
authors.affiliation: Pharmacology Department, Centre of Marine Bioproducts, Havana, Cuba.
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Riera Romo
authors.affiliation: Tumour Immunology Direction, Centre of Molecular Immunology, Havana, Cuba.
authors.forename: Dayana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Pérez-Martínez
authors.affiliation: Biochemistry Department, Faculty of Biology, University of Havana, Havana, Cuba.
authors.forename: Camila
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Castillo Ferrer
mesh_terms: D056704:Adaptive Immunity; D000818:Animals; D005075:Biological Evolution; D006706:Homeostasis; D006801:Humans; D007113:Immunity, Innate; D007167:Immunotherapy; D014714:Vertebrates / Q000276:immunology*
keywords: defence mechanisms; evolutionary history; infection; innate immunity; vertebrates