when some foreign particle enters the human body then immune system reacts to it and tries to destroy it, be it anything even an organ from another person. Why immune system does not react to titanium plates-that are attached to fix the broken bones?

Question

I got a titanium plate screwed in my lower jaw that got broken previously. I recently read somewhere that immune system attacks every foreign particle, even transplanted organs that’s why one has to be on immunosuppressants to live with transplanted organs.

In: 3

Answer 1

The immune system reacts to biological markers. Proteins, cell surface markers, various chemicals that bacteria tend to produce…. Things that hostile foreign cells are likely to have.

An organ from someone else has incorrect cell markers so it is flagged as hostile and attacked.

Plant pollen has all sorts of biochemical markers but nothing remotely similar to a human or a bacteria so it sometimes gets flagged too.

Titanium has nothing at all. A blank metallic surface with no discernible chemical traits. Your immune system can’t even “see” it.

This is true for a lot of plastic, ceramic, and metallic foreign materials, but titanium is typically chosen for this application because it has high strength and corrosion resistance.