Mammalian defensins in immunity: more than just microbicidal

被引：583

作者：

Yang, D

Biragyn, A

Kwak, LW

Oppenheim, JJ ^{[1
]}

机构：

[1] NCI, Canc Res Ctr, Mol Immunoregulat Lab, Frederick, MD 21702 USA

[2] NCI, Expt Transplantat & Immunol Branch, Bethesda, MD 20892 USA

来源：

TRENDS IN IMMUNOLOGY | 2002年 / 23卷 / 06期

关键词：

D O I：

10.1016/S1471-4906(02)02246-9

中图分类号：

R392 [医学免疫学]; Q939.91 [免疫学];

学科分类号：

100102 ;

摘要：

Mammalian defensins are small, cationic, antimicrobial peptides encoded by the host that are considered to be important antibiotic-like effectors of innate immunity. By using chemokine receptors on dendritic cells and T cells, defensins might also contribute to the regulation of host adaptive immunity against microbial invasion. Defensins have considerable immunological adjuvant activity and linkage of beta-defensins or selected chemokines to an idiotypic lymphoma antigen has yielded potent antitumor vaccines. The functional overlap between defensins and chemokines is reinforced by reports that some chemokines have antimicrobial activities. Although showing similarity in activity and overall tertiary structure, the evolutionary relationship between defensins and chemokines remains to be determined.

引用

页码：291 / 296

页数：6

共 48 条

[1] The human antimicrobial and chemotactic peptides LL-37 and α-defensins are expressed by specific lymphocyte and monocyte populations [J].