Innate immunity in inflammation

A fine balance between prompt response to pathogens and avoidance of unregulated inflammation, as well as that between protection and self-damage drives the complexity of the immune system, at the same time pointing out the challenge for effective and safe immunopharmacological intervention. A wide variety of clinically relevant drugs are currently used in the treatment of human inflammatory and immune-system associated disorders. Classical therapeutic approaches are now integrated with emerging strategies that largely derive from advances in signalling and regulatory networks and the pathological consequences of their dysregulation in the field of innate immunity. This chapter provides an account of: (i) the interplay between innate immunity and inflammation; (ii) main immune signalling molecules in inflammation including cytokines, prostanoids and cancer-related immune response, and the main aspects of pharmacological control thereof; and (iii) emerging options for therapeutic interventions on cells of innate immunity.