First-Rate, First-Line Immune Defense

When your throat gets scratchy, you feel feverish, or you see a red welt developing around that tiny splinter, you are seeing the effects of a highly sophisticated immune defense strategy. Symptoms of a sickness tell us that our immune defenses have mounted a counterattack against whatever infectious agent has entered our body. In order to work well, our immune system must operate like a well-oiled machine.

Much like the workings of sensitive radar, the immune system must recognize germs as foreign intruders and separate them from the body’s own cells and molecules. Because it works on a molecular level, immune cells work as part of a highly complex and reactive system. The immune system’s ability to respond properly determines our very health and survival.

When bacteria, viruses, fungi, toxins or cancer cells invade, the immune system springs into action, seeking out and eradicating the infectious enemy. Immune system agents are activated to neutralize potentially dangerous microbes. In addition, other immune cells act as messengers, releasing molecules that work to fine tune the whole process.

Whenever our immune system successfully foils an infection, it emerges stronger and better equipped to fight future health threats.

The Antigen Factor

All cells, including infectious invaders, carry identifiable antigens on their surface. An antigen is any substance that causes the immune system to produce antibodies. Much like individual fingerprints, these specific molecular signatures tell the immune system whether the cell is friend or foe. This is why transplanted organs are often attacked by the recipient’s immune system. Their foreign antigen codes are translated as intruder cells so the immune system mounts its attack. It is estimated that our bodies can react to over 100 million different antigens.

While our immune system routinely sifts and sorts through trillions of cells and their antigen codes, it may be lacking as many as 50,000 specific antigen responses. Without immune awareness of those missing cellular imprints, we become more vulnerable to those specific invaders. In addition, keep in mind that many infectious agents routinely mutate, fooling the immune systems. This is why we can catch multiple colds and flus over the course of time.

We already possess our own innate storehouse of immune molecules called transfer factors that occupy our T lymphocytes. These factors enable the T cells of our immune system to set off immediate alarms when certain antigens are identified as undesirable. So, you can see why adding to our already existing stockpile of transfer factors would be a good thing.
 

The Key: A Maximized Immune Messaging System

Transferring the right information from one group of immune cells to another helps to prevent each of the four threats mentioned previously.

The right molecular messengers can instruct, coordinate, activate and suppress immune cells according to need.

We usually operate with information collected from our own immune experience or exposure, but we can do much better than that. Our immune system needs maximum access to molecular information whether it comes from our own internal data banks or whether it is imported from other sources. The point is that whether generated from within or from without, immune messenger molecules in the form of transfer factors all speak the same language.