Abstract
Mucosal surfaces constitute a large host-environmental interface that must be protected from pathogenic organisms. The mucosal immune system has evolved as a distinct immune organ functioning independently from its systemic counterpart. The mucosal immune system has the difficult task of mounting protective responses to invading microorganisms while maintaining a state of nonresponsiveness to commensal bacteria and food antigens. The system has unique cellular components and functional aspects that permit it to carry out this dual role.
Original language | English (US) |
---|---|
Pages (from-to) | S380-S383 |
Journal | Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology |
Volume | 121 |
Issue number | 2 SUPPL. 2 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Feb 2008 |
Keywords
- Mucosal immunity
- oral tolerance
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Immunology and Allergy
- Immunology