Antigen Specific Eosinophil Mediated Nitration

Abstract

The immune system has two specific branches (i.e., innate immune response and acquired or adaptive immunity) that work together to protect an individual from illness. The innate immune system is the evolutionarily older of the two branches that responds to a wide-array of pathogens with limited target specificity. That is, the innate immune system is capable of destroying pathogens by recognizing common pathogenic moieties or patterns. These immune responses mediate the killing of target pathogens by using an array of methods from engulfing and digesting bacteria to generating reactive molecules to damage larger multi-cellular parasites. The innate immune system is often the first responder to a site of injury or infection and is usually able to successfully target most infections before they become an issue. [excerpt from Introduction]