The function and biological role of toll-like receptors in infectious diseases: an update.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

The present review summarizes exciting new findings and reports recent advances in the understanding of the role of toll-like receptors in health and disease. It intends to provide a rough survey on topics discussed by researchers in the field and to stimulate discussion on new aspects of the complex processes involved in innate host defence.

RECENT FINDINGS

Novel findings have been reported on the many aspects of toll-like receptors biology, namely the receptor structure and the molecular process of ligand recognition, receptor assembly, cellular localization and trafficking, downstream signaling and the regulatory factors involved, genetic polymorphisms within receptor genes and their linkage to human diseases, and the functional role of toll-like receptors in immune defence and host-microbe homeostasis.

SUMMARY

Recent advances have allowed a more detailed picture not only of the processes involved in microbial recognition and host defence but also revealed unexpected insights into the cause of inflammatory processes and the close interrelationship between the vertebrate host and the microbially colonized environment.