Application of Nanoparticles as Innate Immune Stimulator

The innate immune response is usually the first line of defense upon foreign antigen recognition by the immune cells. It is important for maintaining the body’s integrity through recognition and eliminating damaged or endogenous entities. Evidence shows that nanoparticles can act as immunomodulators with applications in treating diseases. Some nanoparticles can pass undetected by the innate immune cells. However, in most cases, they can be recognized and also interact robustly with the immune cells, despite their small structure and size. Upon recognition by immune proteins, they can trigger inflammatory and anti-inflammatory responses. Despite the available evidence of this interaction, our understanding of the interaction mechanisms remains limited, while the long-term effects also remain unclear. In this chapter, we explore the different advances in the modes of interactions between nanoparticles and the innate immune cells and their implications. We aim to discuss the interaction between the innate immune system and nanoparticles, with the aim of understanding the recognition pattern, mechanisms of interaction, and how this can be explored for therapeutic purposes.