Postnatal Development of Hepatic Innate Immune Response

Postnatal programming of the innate immune response.

A host's defensive response to a pathogen is a phylogenetically ancient reaction that consists of a CNS-mediated series of autonomic, hormonal and behavioral responses that combine to combat infection. The absence of such defense results in greater morbidity and mortality and thus, these responses are essential for survival. The postnatal period represents a malleable phase in which the long-te...

Postnatal Innate Immune Development: From Birth to Adulthood

It is well established that adaptive immune responses are deficient in early life, contributing to increased mortality and morbidity. The developmental trajectories of different components of innate immunity are only recently being explored. Individual molecules, cells, or pathways of innate recognition and signaling, within different compartments/anatomical sites, demonstrate variable maturati...

Emerging Roles for Lipids in the Hepatic Innate Immune Response

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease represents a growing clinical problem worldwide [1,2]. Recent studies in a European population demonstrated NAFLD in 94% of patients with a BMI exceeding 30 kg/m2 and perhaps more troubling in 25% of patients with a normal BMI (<25). Clear complications are associated with excess hepatic lipid accumulation from stimulation of marked inflammation to more severe ...

Induction of Innate Immune Response

Quiescent Hepatic Stellate Cells Functionally Contribute to the Hepatic Innate Immune Response via TLR3

Toll-like Receptor 3 (TLR3) is a pathogen pattern recognition receptor that plays a key role in innate immunity. TLR3 signalling has numerous functions in liver, both in health and disease. Here we report that TLR3 is expressed by quiescent hepatic stellate cells (HSC) where it functions to induce transcription and secretion of functional interferons as well as a number of other cytokines and c...