Scientists study immune cell bacteria

US. medical researchers have discovered bacteria that insert
themselves inside key front-line immune cells in mice can
trigger a strong immune response. The findings by the
University of Michigan scientists might lead to more effective
vaccines and more precisely targeted drugs for some autoimmune
diseases. The study found the body's immune cells don't
necessarily rest quietly until invading bacteria lock onto
receptors on their outside skins and rouse them to action, as
previously thought. The researchers discovered that, in mouse
studies, bacteria can enter cells and independently initiate
a powerful immune response. The study by Dr. Gabriel Nunez,
Thirumala-Devi Kanneganti, Mohamed Lamkanfi, Yun-Gi Kim, Grace
Chen, Jong-Hwan Park, and Luigi Franchi, along with Peter
Vandenabeele of the Flanders Institute for Biotechnology and
Ghent University in Belgium, is published online ahead of
print in the journal Immunity.