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Toll-like receptors in the pathogenesis of human disease

Nature Immunology volume 5, pages 975–979 (2004)Cite this article

Abstract

Members of the Toll-like receptor (TLR) family are key regulators of both innate and adaptive immune responses. The function of TLRs in various human diseases has been investigated by comparison of the incidence of disease among people having different polymorphisms in genes that participate in TLR signaling. These studies have shown that TLR function affects several diseases, including sepsis, immunodeficiencies, atherosclerosis and asthma. As this body of data grows, it will provide new insights into disease pathogenesis as well as valuable information on the merits of various therapeutic options.

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Figure 1: TLR signaling.
Figure 2: Polymorphisms of TLR signaling molecules and their association with human disease.

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Acknowledgements

Supported by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (ES11375, ES07498, ES012496 and ES011961), the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute (HL66604 and HL66611) and the Department of Veterans' Affairs (Merit Review).

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  1. Department of Medicine, Duke University Medical Center, and the Durham Veterans Administration Medical Center, Durham, 27710, North Carolina, USA

    Donald N Cook, David S Pisetsky & David A Schwartz

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  1. Donald N Cook
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Correspondence to Donald N Cook.

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Cook, D., Pisetsky, D. & Schwartz, D. Toll-like receptors in the pathogenesis of human disease. Nat Immunol 5, 975–979 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1038/ni1116

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