Innate immunity has a critical role in the early stage of the host defense response by the timely recognition of pathogenic or danger signals by various cell surface or cytoplasmic receptors. This is followed by signal transduction via various adaptor and effector molecules. The main functions of innate immunity are to identify and remove the invading pathogens, to recruit various immune cells to the site of infection, and to prepare the adaptive immune response. The Innate immune system has been intensively studied for several decades and now we can begin to understand this system on a molecular level.
Advances in the technology used to study structural biology have greatly improved our understanding of the innate immune system. For example, higher-ordered supramolecular complexes, such as the inflammasome, have been visualized by advances in cryo-EM technology and has been suggested as the universal feature of innate immune signaling. This has meant previously open questions in the field of molecular innate immunology are beginning to be solved. This thematic issue aims to provide an update on the current progress in structural immunology of molecular innate immunity.
We have organized this Research Topic to meet the needs of this emerging research field. We welcome the submission of related research in different formats, including Original Research, Systematic Review, Methods, Review, Mini Review, Hypothesis & Theory and Perspective articles, focusing on, but not limited to, the following topics:
1. Structural biology of pathogen recognition by pattern recognition receptors (such as Toll-like receptors, RIG-I-like receptors, inflammasomes, or cGAS)
2. Structural biology of innate immune cell signaling pathways (such as NF-?B activation, interferon response, cytokine maturation, and cell death)
3. Structural biology of immune escape by pathogens
4. Structural biology of inflammation
5. Structural biology of antigen presentation
6. Structural biology of pathogenic molecules and drug targets of pathogens
Innate immunity has a critical role in the early stage of the host defense response by the timely recognition of pathogenic or danger signals by various cell surface or cytoplasmic receptors. This is followed by signal transduction via various adaptor and effector molecules. The main functions of innate immunity are to identify and remove the invading pathogens, to recruit various immune cells to the site of infection, and to prepare the adaptive immune response. The Innate immune system has been intensively studied for several decades and now we can begin to understand this system on a molecular level.
Advances in the technology used to study structural biology have greatly improved our understanding of the innate immune system. For example, higher-ordered supramolecular complexes, such as the inflammasome, have been visualized by advances in cryo-EM technology and has been suggested as the universal feature of innate immune signaling. This has meant previously open questions in the field of molecular innate immunology are beginning to be solved. This thematic issue aims to provide an update on the current progress in structural immunology of molecular innate immunity.
We have organized this Research Topic to meet the needs of this emerging research field. We welcome the submission of related research in different formats, including Original Research, Systematic Review, Methods, Review, Mini Review, Hypothesis & Theory and Perspective articles, focusing on, but not limited to, the following topics:
1. Structural biology of pathogen recognition by pattern recognition receptors (such as Toll-like receptors, RIG-I-like receptors, inflammasomes, or cGAS)
2. Structural biology of innate immune cell signaling pathways (such as NF-?B activation, interferon response, cytokine maturation, and cell death)
3. Structural biology of immune escape by pathogens
4. Structural biology of inflammation
5. Structural biology of antigen presentation
6. Structural biology of pathogenic molecules and drug targets of pathogens
