New Insights Into How Brain Responds To Viral Infection
Tuesday, March 31, 2009 - 22:21
in Health & Medicine
Scientists have discovered that astrocytes, supportive cells in the brain that are not derived from an immune cell lineage, respond to a molecule that mimics a viral infection using cellular machinery similar to that used by classical immune cells in the blood. This work provides a new understanding of the complex mechanisms responsible for induction and regulation of inflammation in the brain and has significant implications for both the diagnosis and treatment of brain infections.
