home   genetic news   bioinformatics   biotechnology   literature   journals   ethics   positions   events   sitemap
 
  HUM-MOLGEN -> Genetic News | search  
 

Different Ways To Present A Virus

 
  October, 21 2003 8:37
your information resource in human molecular genetics
 
     
How viruses trigger an immune response has been an enduring enigma. In the November issue of Nature Immunology, scientists show that the ability of specialized immune cells to pick up viral particles from their surroundings and use them to alert other immune cells is an important element in fighting viral infections.

Scientists have known for some time that MHC class I proteins alert the immune system to the presence of virus particles, so that an antiviral response can be triggered. However, it is unclear whether the cells that bear MHC class I proteins on their cell surfaces need to be infected by the virus to send out an alarm, or whether they primarily acquire virus particles from the surrounding tissue during an infection. Jefferies and colleagues from the University of British Columbia, Canada modified the intracellular travels of MHC class I, so that it cannot pick up bits of virus swallowed by the immune cell, and yet it retains the ability to pick up virus if the cell itself is infected. Mice with these modified MHC proteins are crippled in their ability to clear infections. This finding is important in understanding immune responses during viral infections, and also bears on tumor immunity and autoimmune diseases.

Author contact:

Wilfred A. Jefferies
University of British Columbia
Vancouver, BC
Canada
Tel: +1 604 822 6961
E-mail: wilf@brc.ubc.ca

Additional contact for comment on paper:

Sebastian Amigorena
Institute Curie, INSERM
Paris, France
Tel: +33 1 42346439
E-mail: sebas@curie.fr

Also available online.

(C) Nature Immunology press release.


Message posted by: Trevor M. D'Souza

print this article mail this article
Latest News
Variants Associated with Pediatric Allergic Disorder

Mutations in PHF6 Found in T-Cell Leukemia

Genetic Risk Variant for Urinary Bladder Cancer

Antibody Has Therapeutic Effect on Mice with ALS

Regulating P53 Activity in Cancer Cells

Anti-RNA Therapy Counters Breast Cancer Spread

Mitochondrial DNA Diversity

The Power of RNA Sequencing

‘Pro-Ageing' Therapy for Cancer?

Niche Genetics Influence Leukaemia

Molecular Biology: Clinical Promise for RNA Interference

Chemoprevention Cocktail for Colon Cancer

more news ...

Generated by News Editor 2.0 by Kai Garlipp
WWW: Kai Garlipp, Frank S. Zollmann.
7.0 © 1995-2023 HUM-MOLGEN. All rights reserved. Liability, Copyright and Imprint.