Posted on 10/01/2006 6:32:34 PM PDT by blam
Body reveals its inflammation 'off switch'
18:00 01 October 2006
NewScientist.com news service
Deb MacKenzie
Researchers have shed light on how the body switches off its immune response, a key step towards understanding autoimmune diseases and controlling inflammation.
When immune cells die, they transform into “sponges” that soak up the molecules responsible for causing inflammation, researchers have discovered. The new information may lead to better drugs to treat inflammatory disorders, such as eczema.
Inflammation is characterised by a red, painful swelling around a wound caused by blood fluids, proteins and immune cells flooding into an area of the body in response to germs or damage. Its biological purpose is to allow immune cells to get from the blood to the trouble spot to fight infection.
But too much inflammation can be devastating. It is what causes death in diseases such as flu, while chronic, misdirected inflammation causes conditions from eczema to arthritis. As a result, researchers have been looking for ways to "turn-off" the inflammatory response.
Ultimate scavengers
Now, Charles Serhan and colleagues at Harvard University in Boston, US, have discovered an important natural braking mechanism. In a healthy inflammatory response, immune cells called leukocytes are attracted to the site of injury, where they are activated by molecules called chemokines. The leukocytes emit powerful germ-killing chemicals, and then commit suicide.
The researchers discovered that dying leukocytes act like sponges, soaking up chemokines, preventing them from attracting more leukocytes. It is the body’s way of controlling inflammation – a good thing, since too much of their germ-killing chemicals can damage healthy surrounding tissue.
(Excerpt) Read more at newscientist.com ...
Google esters and sterols for direction.
CCR5 is a receptor that HIV uses to infect cells.
I was searching for another article on CCR5 for HIV/AIDS. Thanks for saving it as a keyword.
Neat find!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.