Body's own proteins may lead the way in global fight against tuberculosis
Tuesday, June 1, 2010 - 16:23
in Health & Medicine
Ohio scientists hope to counter the re-emerging threat of tuberculosis (TB) with help from proteins from our bodies. In a research report published in the June 2010 print issue of the Journal of Leukocyte Biology (http://www.jleukbio.org), scientists show how the protein CCL5 plays a protective role in helping the body ward off this contagious, airborne disease in the early stages of infection. CCL5 is a member of a large family of proteins responsible for immune cell migration toward infection sites. The work on this molecule suggests that CCL5 and/or related proteins may lead to new therapies that help the immune system resist TB...