鈥淣ATURAL killer鈥� cells form the front-line troops of the immune system. The discovery of the master gene that sends them into action promises a host of new treatments for infections, cancer and other diseases.
Patrolling the bloodstream, the spleen and the lymph nodes, natural killer cells identify and destroy cells that are cancerous or have been invaded by viruses.
of Imperial College London and colleagues found that mice lacking a gene called E4BP4 could make all other components of the immune system apart from natural killer cells, proving that the gene is indispensable for making the cells (Nature Immunology, ). 鈥淣ow we know which gene is at the top of the hierarchy, it opens the door to the whole machinery for making them,鈥� says Brady, who is looking for new drugs to boost immunity.
Advertisement