Immune system – broad cellular activation

Immune system – broad cellular activation is a physiological state characterized by the simultaneous and widespread stimulation of multiple components of the innate and adaptive immune systems. This process involves the activation of various cell types, including T lymphocytes, B lymphocytes, natural killer (NK) cells, and macrophages, leading to a robust release of pro-inflammatory mediators such as cytokines and chemokines (Shimabukuro-Vornhagen et al., 2018). While targeted immune activation is a primary goal in oncology to eradicate tumor cells, broad or systemic activation can result from potent immunotherapies like CAR-T cells or bispecific T-cell engagers (June et al., 2018). If unregulated, this state can progress to life-threatening conditions such as cytokine release syndrome (CRS) or multi-organ failure (Teachey et al., 2016). Consequently, this term describes a systemic biological phenomenon rather than a single molecular target, representing a significant challenge in balancing therapeutic efficacy with safety in modern immunology.

Other names

Systemic immune activationBroad immune activationPan-immune activationGeneralized immune stimulationImmune hyperactivation

Induction of widespread immune effector activity through the activation of pattern recognition receptors, cytokine signaling, or the removal of inhibitory checkpoints to stimulate multiple immune cell lineages simultaneously.