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Understanding Natural Killers Could Lead to New Hepatitis Treatments
Apr 7, 2005, 14:10, Reviewed by: Dr.
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The new studies show that NKT cells crawl along vessel
walls, even upstream against blood flow. They halt only when
they receive a chemical signal to unleash an immune-system
assault.
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By Howard Hughes Medical Institute,
Researchers have discovered that natural killer T (NKT)
cells, the immune system�s sentinels, patrol the
labyrinthine blood vessels of the liver for invaders or
signs of tissue damage and demonstrate a dogged behavior not
seen before in other T cells.
The new studies show that NKT cells crawl along vessel
walls, even upstream against blood flow. They halt only when
they receive a chemical signal to unleash an immune-system
assault.
The findings offer a new way of thinking about this
important class of immune cell, which is responsible for the
inflammation and cell death in the liver due to hepatitis.
Learning to "call off" the NKT cell�s pursuit and attack
could offer a treatment for hepatitis and associated
complications. 
- Research published in the April 05, 2005, issue of Public Library of Science (PLoS) Biology.
www.hhmi.org//news/littman4.html
HHMI investigator(s):
Dan R. Littman, M.D., Ph.D., New York University Medical Center
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