title: Innate sensing of oxidation-specific epitopes in health and disease.
abstract: Ageing, infections and inflammation result in oxidative stress that can irreversibly damage cellular structures. The oxidative damage of lipids in membranes or lipoproteins is one of these deleterious consequences that not only alters lipid function but also leads to the formation of neo-self epitopes - oxidation-specific epitopes (OSEs) - which are present on dying cells and damaged proteins. OSEs represent endogenous damage-associated molecular patterns that are recognized by pattern recognition receptors and the proteins of the innate immune system, and thereby enable the host to sense and remove dangerous biological waste and to maintain homeostasis. If this system is dysfunctional or overwhelmed, the accumulation of OSEs can trigger chronic inflammation and the development of diseases, such as atherosclerosis and age-related macular degeneration. Understanding the molecular components and mechanisms that are involved in this process will help to identify individuals with an increased risk of developing chronic inflammation, and will also help to indicate novel modes of therapeutic intervention.
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Lazarettgasse 14, AKH BT 25.2, A-1090 Vienna, Austria.|Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Lazarettgasse 14, AKH BT 25.3, A-1090 Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Christoph J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Binder
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Lazarettgasse 14, AKH BT 25.2, A-1090 Vienna, Austria.|Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Lazarettgasse 14, AKH BT 25.3, A-1090 Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Nikolina
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Papac-Milicevic
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, California 92093, USA.
authors.forename: Joseph L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Witztum
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004198:Disease Susceptibility; D000939:Epitopes / Q000276:immunology*; D006706:Homeostasis; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D056724:Immunity, Humoral; D007113:Immunity, Innate; D050356:Lipid Metabolism; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D018384:Oxidative Stress
chemical_list: D000939:Epitopes