We are not alone. The indigenous microbiota colonizes exposed surfaces and aids their hosts in several physiological activities. The transition between a non-colonized to a colonized state is associated with modification on the pattern of host inflammatory responsiveness. Therefore, innate immunity adapts to the colonized state of the host, suggesting that there is an acquired component in innate immune responses.
Copyright © 2011 Institut Pasteur. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.