Host immune and signaling pathways

Host immune and signaling pathways represent the integrated network of molecular processes that detect pathogens and maintain cellular homeostasis [Janeway's Immunobiology, 2001]. These pathways include innate immune components like Toll-like receptors and adaptive responses involving T-cell and B-cell signaling [Abbas, Cellular and Molecular Immunology, 2021]. Intracellular cascades, such as the JAK-STAT and NF-κB pathways, are critical for translating external stimuli into functional responses like cytokine production or cell death [Newton & Dixit, Cold Spring Harb Perspect Biol, 2012]. Because this term encompasses thousands of distinct proteins and interactions, it is considered a broad biological system rather than a single druggable target [Kuenzi, Nature Chemical Biology, 2019]. Dysregulation of these pathways is central to the development of autoimmune diseases, chronic inflammation, and cancer [Grivennikov, Cell, 2010]. Therapeutic interventions typically target specific nodes within these pathways, such as TNF-alpha or Janus kinases, to modulate the overall immune response [O'Shea, Nature Reviews Rheumatology, 2013]. Consequently, while the system as a whole is the focus of immunopharmacology, drug development requires the identification of specific molecular targets within these pathways to ensure efficacy and safety [Targeting the Immune System, NIH, 2023].

Other names

Immune signaling pathwaysHost defense mechanismsHost-pathogen interaction networks

Modulation of immune signaling nodes, including cytokine inhibition, kinase blockade, and immune checkpoint regulation.