Critical Review Essay
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Item Activation of the innate immune response and its consequences for the cental nervous system(2004-02-01) Simard , Alain R.; Falter, Hermann; Appanna, Vasu; Omri, AbdelIt had long been thought that the central nervous system was isolated from the immune system due to the blood brain barrier and that this organ was unable to mount an immune reaction of its own when challenged by invading pathogens. It is now clear that the immune system has a profound impact on the central nervous system, since immune molecules found in the blood stream are able to stimulate cells within the brain. Moreover, recent studies have demonstrated that cells within the central nervous system have the capacity to produce molecules of the innate immune system and that this organ is able to generate a proper immune reaction. This topic has been extensively studied in recent years, and it is becoming clear that the innate immune system is an important modulator of the fate of neurons. Indeed, the precise role(s) of the innate immune response in neurodegenerative diseases is currently under intensive debate. In this review paper, evidence either supporting or opposing a role for the innate immune response in neurodegeneration will be provided and elaborated in depth. The mechanisms by which the systemic immune response and the central nervous system interact and regulate each other will also be discussed in detail.