Regulation of T Cell Subsets by Innate Immune Signals
The context in which antigen is encountered has a critical role in the regulation of the immune response. In the setting of tissue destruction and inflammation, the immune system is alerted to the presence of danger and mounts a stronger immune reaction. During organ transplantation, both the recipient tissues and the graft tissues suffer injury and release endogenous molecules that can act as potent stimulators of the innate immune response. With the discovery of Toll-like receptors (TLRs), which recognize molecules associated with tissue injury and infection, there has been increasing interest in the role of the innate immune system in the regulation of the adaptive immune system.
