Invariant natural killers keep tuberculosis in check

Mycobacterium tuberculosis is a major cause of death worldwide, and a formidable foe. Most healthy people can defend themselves against tuberculosis, but they need all parts of their immune system to work together. A study published on January 2nd in PLOS Pathogens reveals how a special class of immune cells called "invariant natural killer T cells" make their contribution to this concerted effort.
"We were interested in identifying the mechanisms that different types of T cells use to control Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection", says Samuel Behar, from the University of Massachusetts Medical School, US, the senior author of the new study.
He and his colleagues had previously shown that when invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells encounter infected macrophages--the human target cells of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, or Mtb--the iNKT cells somehow prevented Mtb from growing and multiplying inside the macrophages.

Read more:
How invariant natural killers keep tuberculosis in check

Source: EurekAlert
Image credits: Alissa Rothchild

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