http://repub.eur.nl/res/aut/27506/ List of Publications en http://repub.eur.nl/static-eur/img/logo.png http://repub.eur.nl http://repub.eur.nl/res/pub/22136/ 1995-12-20T00:00:00Z Neither the horse, nor the elephant, definitely not the tiger, but the weak and defenceless lamb is chosen for sacrifice - states a sanskrit observation coined about 1500 years ago (adjacent page). The ability to defend oneself against external and internal aggressors is indispensable for survival. Some form of selfdefence is a basic requirement needed to protect oneself from a world of pathogens that is forever evolving. In mammals, the body's defence system is highly evolved. In them, the non-specific innate immune system and the specific adaptive immune system are linked together to form a formidable integrated host defence mechanism.