The paper “The role of the innate immune system on pulmonary infections” focuses on

the importance of the innate immune system in protecting the lungs from infections. The innate
immune system is the body's first line of defense against pathogens, such as bacteria, viruses, and
fungi. Some of the key points discussed in the paper are recognition, activation, phagocytosis,
inflammation, and antimicrobial peptides.

“Inhalation is essential for respiration and life in all vertebrates; however, it exposes the
host to pathogens in its environment. This makes the upper respiratory tract one of the most
vulnerable to infection,”1 because of this the respiratory system depends on the innate immune
response to defend against these pathogens. The innate immune response does not rely on
previous infection or exposure to combat the pathogens that are entering the respiratory system.

The innate immune system recognizes pathogens through pattern recognition receptors
(PRRs) that detect specific molecular patterns found on pathogens. A notable example of this is
toll-like receptors (TLRs) which recognize bacterial cell wall components and induce
inflammation to clear out infectious agents. The paper specifically points out TLR3 for being
“the most effective TLR in the lungs (airway) cells in expelling cytokine and chemokine.” 1 This
paper points out another PRR called NOD-like receptors (NLRs), that cause inflammation.
“NOD1 and NOD2 are specific references as members of the NLR family as they have “shown
their protectiveness against microbial pathogens.”2

Upon recognition of pathogens, PRRs initiate a signaling cascade that triggers the
activation of immune cells, such as macrophages and neutrophils. These phagocytic and T cells
produce cytokines, chemokines, and anti-microbial peptides that are important in clearing the
infectious agents. One example of how they do this is through cleaving C3 into C3b and C3a.
C3b creates a “destruction target” on the pathogen, while C3a calls forth other macrophages and
neutrophils to help. Macrophages and Neutrophils engulf and destroy pathogens through a
process called phagocytosis. They use specialized enzymes and reactive oxygen species to kill
the engulfed pathogens. This research discusses the importance of the immune system, while
pointing out the ways the immune response combats antibiotic resistant bacteria. This paper has
a focal point on the epithelium, which is a “physical barrier between the lumen and
vasculature,”1 stating that it can prevent pathogens from colonizing and spreading throughout the
lungs. This layer can also stop pulmonary edema (fluid buildup in the lungs) from happening.
 The innate immune system response involves the release of inflammatory mediators, such
as histamine and prostaglandins, which promote the recruitment and activation of immune cells
to the site of infection. Inflammation helps contain the infection and promotes tissue repair. The
innate immune system also produces antimicrobial peptides that can directly kill pathogens. An
example from the paper is RegIIIγ “a C-type lectin that focuses on targeting gram positive
bacteria.”
These peptides disrupt the integrity of microbial membranes, leading to their destruction.

References:

1. Zhang, H., He, F., Li, P., Hardwidge, P. R., Li, N., & Peng, Y. (2018). The Role of
Innate Immunity in Pulmonary Infections.
2. Anand P. K., Malireddi R. K. S., Lukens J. R., et al. NLRP6 negatively regulates
innate immunity and host defence against bacterial pathogens. Nature. 2012