Gamma interferon a wake-up call for stem cell response to infection

Most of the time, the body's blood-forming stem cells remain dormant, with just a few producing blood cells and maintaining a balance among the different types. However, invading bacteria can be a call-to-arms, awaking the sleeping stem cells and prompting them to produce immune system cells. The "bugler" that awakes them is gamma interferon, a front-line protein defender against bacterial infection, researchers have found.

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