警报素家族研究进展

Research progress of alarmins

警报素最早在2004年提出，是一类可应答于危险因子，对固有免疫细胞具有趋化和激活作用，可激发和促进适应性免疫应答的内源性生物介质。目前公认的警报素家族成员主要来自防御素家族，抗菌肽家族，嗜酸粒细胞衍生神经毒素和高迁移率族蛋白等。在炎症或损伤因素的刺激下，警报素能够迅速地从储存部位释放。警报素可以通过促进抗原的摄取、处理和呈递来增强对抗原特异性免疫反应的诱导，是一类可增强免疫活性的佐剂。对警报素家族深入研究将有助于阐明其在免疫系统中的地位，并可能为免疫治疗提供新的手段或靶点。

Alarmins, proposed in 2004, as a kind of endogenous mediators are characterized by chemotactic and activating effects on natural immune cells and augmentation of innate and adaptive immune response. At present, defensins, cathelicidins, eosinophil-derived neurotoxin and high mobility group proteins have been recognized as members of alarmins, they are rapidly released from where they are stored in response to infection or tissue injury. As alarmins can promot antigen uptake, processing and presentation, they have the capacity of induction of antigen-specific immune response and can be a kind of ideal adjuvant. In-depth study of the alarmins will help to clarify its position in the immune system, and may provide new means or target of immunotherapy.