Journal of Clinical and Cellular Immunology
Open Access

Re-thinking the role of immunity: Lessons from the evolutionary past for the present and the future

Conference Series LLC Joint International Event on 5^th European Immunology & Innate Immunity

July 21-23, 2016 Berlin, Germany

Thomas C G Bosch

Kiel University, Germany

Posters & Accepted Abstracts: J Clin Cell Immunol

Abstract :

Characterization of the innate immune repertoire of evolutionary old organisms is of both fundamental and applied interest; it not only provides insights into the basic immunological "tool kit" of the common ancestor of all animals but is also likely to be important in understanding human barrier disorders by describing ancient mechanisms of host/microbial interactions and the resulting evolutionary selection processes. Here, I evaluate our current understanding of the evolution of epithelialbased innate immunity. I highlight growing evidence that the innate immune system with its host-specific antimicrobial peptides and rich repertoire of pattern recognition receptors has evolved in response to the need for controlling resident beneficial microbes rather than to defend against invasive pathogens.