Johns Hopkins scientists have identified a previously unrecognized step in the activation of infection-fighting white blood cells, the main immunity troops in the body's war on bacteria, viruses and foreign proteins.
"It's as if we knew many of the generals, colonels and majors and now we have discovered a new officer that helps the troops carry out the right battle plan," says Joel Pomerantz, Ph.D., an assistant professor of Biological Chemistry in the Institute for Basic Biomedical Sciences and member of the Institute for Cell Engineering at Johns Hopkins.
The discovery, published in Molecular Cell on December 10th also presents new opportunities to develop drugs to enhance the immune system, or to slow down hyperactive immune cells in cases of autoimmunity and cancer, Pomerantz says.
Faced with infection, the body's white blood cells are commanded by a protein CARD11 to either make more antibodies and white blood cells that attack the invader or to stand down and abort the mission.
The new research shows that CARD11 is under the control of GAKIN, another protein that supervises the directives given to each white blood cell. Because of CARD11's importance in the decision-making process, it needs a regulator to make sure it turns off when it's no longer needed to avoid the risk of hyperactivity. If too many T or B cells, particular types of white blood cells, are made or sent to battle infection, the consequences can be cancer or autoimmune disease, Pomerantz says.
The discovery of GAKIN's role in immune cell activation began when researchers attached the gene that codes for luciferase a natural protein that makes fireflies glow to a gene that CARD11 turns on in response to an infection. This allowed them to see when a CARD11-responsive gene was turned on by measuring the amount of light released from the cells. Pomerantz's group discovered that the more GAKIN protein they added to the cells, the less
'/>"/>
| Contact: Vanessa McMains vmcmain1@jhmi.edu 410-502-9410 Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions Source:Eurekalert |
Related biology news :
1. Autism Speaks chief science officer Geraldine Dawson, Ph.D., named Rock Star of Science
2. Global Rainmakers Appoints James M. Demitrieus as Chief Operating Officer
3. Global Rainmakers Appoints James M. Demitrieus as Chief Operating Officer
4. Pacific Biometrics, Inc. Announces the Appointment of Michael Murphy, PhD as Chief Operating Officer
5. BIO-key(R) Appoints Cecilia Welch as Chief Financial Officer
6. Supply-Chain Council Announces New Board of Directors and Officers
7. ID Analytics Appoints Chief Information Officer
8. ID Analytics Appoints Chief Information Officer
9. First-ever covalent irreversible inhibition of a protease central to hepatitis C infection
10. E. coli infection linked to long-term health problems
11. E coli infection linked to long-term health problems
| Copyright © 2003-2012 Bio-Medicine. All rights reserved. ABOUT | CONTACT US | DISCLAIMER | PRIVACY POLICY | TERMS AND CONDITIONS |  |