PDF Version

Speeding the Immune Response

The immune response comprises two distinct aspects. The innate immune system is a fast-acting response that recognizes the presence of a virus or bacteria and mounts a general attack within minutes to hours after a pathogen has entered the body. The adaptive response occurs more slowly, but is targeted at the specific invading organism. It can take a week to 10 days for this response to fully engage.

Immunologist Raul Torres, PhD, and his colleagues recently discovered a connection that combines the best of both aspects of the immune system. They found that molecules that normally trigger the innate immune response also interact with B cells involved in the adaptive response. As a result of this interaction, the adaptive response speeds up to mount an initial attack within four days of a pathogen invasion. A quicker adaptive immune response increases the chances of successfully fighting an infection. The findings may guide development of more effective vaccines.