Cytokines in Sepsis: Potent Immunoregulators and Potential Therapeutic Targets—An Updated View

Figure 1

Initiation of the immune response following infection. Immune cells of the innate immune system recognize invading pathogens via Toll-like receptors (TLRs). The binding of pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs), such as peptidoglycan, lipopolysaccharide (LPS), or flagellin, to TLRs initiates signal transduction cascades that lead to the activation of nuclear factor κB (NF-κB). NF-κB is subsequently translocated into the nucleus where it induces the expression of cytokines and chemokines.