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Immune Immolation
24 January 2014

Immune Immolation

Here, HIV particles (coloured yellow) are seen infecting a human T cell. HIV destroys essential immune cells including CD4 T cells – which mobilise other immune cells – thereby crippling the body’s defences. Now, researchers have revealed the molecular chain of events that results in the death of these first responders. The vast majority of CD4 T cells don’t get fully infected by HIV but die anyway. It turns out that this is because the cells respond to the presence of fragments of viral DNA by initiating pyroptosis – a fiercely inflammatory form of cell suicide that lures more CD4 T cells, creating a vicious cycle that devastates the immune system. Initiation of pyroptosis depends on the activation of a protein called caspase-1. Inhibiting this protein in cells in the lab with an existing drug suppresses cell death and inflammation, raising the possibility of new therapies that target the patient’s immune response.

Written by Daniel Cossins

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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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