The human mouth is one of the main routes of entry into the body for foreign microorganisms. During the usual course of daily living the host may be invaded by microbes possessing various harmful qualities, or the host may acquire breaks in its defenses, or may undergo operative procedures. In these conditions, the microorganisms find themselves in inadequately protected tissues because of break in local barrier. As tissues are injured and microbes increase, a variety of signals in the host brings about mobilization and local accumulation of protective factors and these are generally sufficient to contain the pathogens, prevent their dissemination, and allow healing to proceed promptly. The purpose of this review is to study both innate and immunologicallymediated defense systems in the human mouth and to review extensively the functions of these various defense mechanisms in protecting the host from colonization with microorganisms and cancerous cells with particular emphasis on the oral cavity and its immediate surroundings.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.