tulehdustaesto

Tulehdustaesto is a term used in Finnish biomedical literature to describe the network of physical, chemical, and cellular mechanisms that limit inflammatory responses and protect tissues from excessive damage. It refers to the collective barrier functions and regulatory processes that prevent the spread and escalation of inflammation, while allowing necessary immune responses to resolve threats.

The concept covers several levels of protection. Physical barriers include epithelial and endothelial layers and their intercellular junctions, such as tight and adherens junctions, which restrict access to underlying tissues. Chemical barriers involve mucous secretions, antimicrobial peptides, and local mediators that regulate microbial growth and detection. Regulatory immune mechanisms comprise anti-inflammatory cytokines (for example IL-10 and TGF-β), regulatory immune cells, and pathways that promote resolution of inflammation through specialized pro-resolving mediators. Together, these elements control the recruitment and activity of immune cells, limit tissue injury, and facilitate healing.

Disruption or insufficiency of tulehdustaesto can contribute to chronic inflammatory diseases, autoimmune disorders, and impaired tissue repair. Conversely, strengthening barrier function and promoting proper resolution of inflammation are major therapeutic goals in conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease, dermatitis, respiratory and neuroinflammatory disorders, and metabolic syndromes. Research directions include understanding how barriers are formed and maintained, how they fail in disease, and how interventions (pharmacological, dietary, or lifestyle) can restore or enhance their protective functions.

See also: inflammation, barrier function, resolution of inflammation, epithelial barrier, tight junctions.