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Dendritic Cells Deceived
22 August 2012

Dendritic Cells Deceived

Dendritic cells patrol our body picking up potential ne’er-do-wells and bringing them to lymph glands to alert other immune cells. HIV-1 virus subverts this process, however, using the dendritic cells like a Trojan horse to gain access to and infect those immune cells. Virologists have now discovered a molecule called a ganglioside on the surface of HIV-1 that it uses to enter and dupe dendritic cells. Lab-made particles that mimic the virus complete with ganglioside (shown as orangey-yellow), are seen here having entered a dendritic cell (its nucleus dyed blue). Identification of HIV-1’s entry pass could help with efforts to combat the virus.

Written by Ruth Williams

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BPoD stands for Biomedical Picture of the Day. Managed by the MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences until Jul 2023, it is now run independently by a dedicated team of scientists and writers. The website aims to engage everyone, young and old, in the wonders of biology, and its influence on medicine. The ever-growing archive of more than 4000 research images documents over a decade of progress. Explore the collection and see what you discover. Images are kindly provided for inclusion on this website through the generosity of scientists across the globe.

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