The devastating impact of respiratory infections demonstrates the critical need for novel prophylactic vaccines. In this opinion article, we advocate for bacterial immunotherapies as a complementary tool in our fight against respiratory infections.
For decades, innate immune cells were considered unsophisticated first responders, lacking the adaptive memory of their T and B cell counterparts. However, mounting evidence demonstrates the surprising complexity of innate immunity.
The C-type lectin receptor Dectin-1 was originally described as the β-glucan receptor expressed in myeloid cells, with crucial functions in antifungal responses.
Myeloid cells are components of the innate immune system that represent the first line of defense.
β-Glucan-induced trained immunity in myeloid cells leads to long-term protection against secondary infections.
Dectin-1 (Clec7a) is a paradigmatic C-type lectin receptor that binds Syk through a hemITAM motif and couples sensing of pathogens such as fungi to induction of innate responses.