Innate and Adaptive Immunity: The Immune Response to Foreign Materials

The immune system is the defense mechanism of the body that is responsible for protecting against damaging foreign pathogens, maintaining components of self and permitting benign commensal microbes. Primary components and functions of innate and adaptive immunity and how the immune system recognizes and eliminates or reacts to foreign bodies at an introductory level are presented in this chapter. Components of the immune system which differentiate between “self” and “non-self” along with mechanisms for elimination of the recognized threat are described. With these basic immunology concepts in mind, the biomaterials scientist can be better prepared to anticipate issues which arise at the biomaterials–tissue interface. Finally, areas of particular interest to biomaterials and biomaterials-centric applications are described.