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Update on the role of Toll-like receptors during bacterial infections and sepsis

Aktuelles zu Toll-like Rezeptoren bei bakteriellen Infektionen und Sepsis

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Zusammenfassung

Toll-like Rezeptoren (TLRs) sind Erkennungs-Rezeptoren, welche ganz wesentlich zur Abwehrreaktion bei bakteriellen und viralen Infektionen beitragen. Sobald TLRs die Anwesenheit eingedrungener Keime registrieren, kommt es zur Auslösung einer Signaltransduktionskaskade, welche schließlich zur Produktion und Freisetzung von Entzündungsmediatoren und Anlockung von Granulozyten führt. Während das initiale Ziel dieser Entzündungsreaktion die effektive Erkennung und Entfernung eindringender Keime darstellt, führt eine verlängerte oder unkontrollierte Entzündungsantwort zu den Symptomen der systemischen Entzündung und Sepsis. Dieser Kurzreview fasst die wesentlichsten Aspekte der bei bakteriellen Infektionen wichtigen TLRs zusammen und diskutiert daraus resultierende therapeutische Ansätze.

Summary

Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are recognition molecules that importantly contribute to the innate immune response to bacterial and viral infections. Once TLRs sense the presence of invading pathogens a signal transduction cascade is initiated that eventually leads to the production of pro-inflammatory mediators and attraction of neutrophils to the site of infection. While the ultimate goal of this defense pathway is the successful elimination of invading microbes, prolonged or exaggerated stimulation of TLR-associated events can lead to systemic inflammation and clinical symptoms of sepsis. This brief review summarizes the impact of selected TLRs in the host response to clinically important bacteria and provides insights into TLR-associated therapeutic approaches during sepsis and inflammation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (CeMM) and Division of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, Department of Medicine 1, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria

    Sylvia Knapp

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  1. Sylvia Knapp
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Correspondence to Sylvia Knapp.

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Knapp, S. Update on the role of Toll-like receptors during bacterial infections and sepsis. Wien Med Wochenschr 160, 107–111 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10354-010-0765-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10354-010-0765-6

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