How the Immune System Controls Normal Body Functions

The immune system tolerates the majority of foreign antigens, such as those from the microbiome, while disease typically arises when immune competence is compromised.

• Conceptual models of immune function have evolved from Self-Nonself Discrimination to frameworks like the Damage Response Framework and Discontinuity Model.
• The immune system plays a critical role in managing both foreign and self-antigens through processes like waste disposal and tissue repair.
• Clinical disease from foreign antigens often occurs when the immune system is defective, even though many infected individuals remain asymptomatic.
• Autoantigens are consistently present in the body, yet disease incidence remains low unless immune competence is impaired.
• Disease linked to autoantigens can be initiated by a dysfunctional response to coinciding foreign antigens.

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