Meanderings into the Regulation of Effector Class by the Immune System: Derivation of the Trauma Model

The pathway of immune system behaviour can be divided into three modules, each with its own logic and database. The modules are related in that they feed sequentially into each other for function. The modules are (1) the generation of the recognitive repertoire; (2) the sorting of the repertoire by purging it of anti-self; and (3) the coupling of the residue, anti-nonself, appropriately to the biodestructive and ridding effector functions. While both the generation and sorting of the repertoire have been intensively investigated and are well understood in terms of firm theoretical frameworks, the understanding of Module 3, the regulation of effector class, is patchy. This essay is an attempt to define the elements required for an understanding of Module 3 and that leads us to propose the Trauma Model.