Interleukin-12: Biology And Clinical Studies

The communication of the various components of the immune system is controlled by the interaction of soluble and cell-bound molecules. This coordinate function of immune cells is critical for the successfull defense against viral, bacterial, and parasitic pathogens. Moreover, defects of the immune system are also involved in the pathogenesis of malignant and autoimmune disease. The innate immune system, in particular the phagocyte system, represents the first line of defense against infectious pathogens. Soluble products produced by phagocytic cells after contact with invading microbes recruit T cells to the site of the infectious invasion. This leads to induction of an antigen-specific immune response and aids the sucessful clearing of the invading pathogen.