Access

News and Views

Nature 451, 254-255 (17 January 2008) | doi:10.1038/451254a; Published online 16 January 2008

Open Innovation Challenges

naturejobs

More science jobs
Post a job for free

Immunology: Cascade into clarity

Fayyaz S. Sutterwala1 & Richard A. Flavell2

Top

Immune mediator molecules such as antimicrobial peptides are crucial for host responses to pathogens. Akirins are the latest identified components of a signalling cascade that leads to these responses in insects and mice.

The availability of powerful genetic tools to study the fruitfly Drosophila melanogaster, and the striking similarities of this insect's immune system to that of mammals, makes Drosophila a valuable organism for researchers interested in innate (nonspecific) immune responses. Indeed, among other advances, the discovery of Toll-like receptors, which are essential mediators of innate immunity in mammals, came about through studies in Drosophila.

  1. Fayyaz S. Sutterwala is in the Department of Medicine, Inflammation Program, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa 52241, USA.
    Email: fayyaz-sutterwala@uiowa.edu
  2. Richard A. Flavell is in the Department of Immunobiology and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut 06520, USA.
    Email: richard.flavell@yale.edu

MORE ARTICLES LIKE THIS

These links to content published by NPG are automatically generated.

NEWS AND VIEWS

Akirins versus infection

Nature Immunology News and Views (01 Jan 2008)

Nature's fortress against infection

Nature Immunology News and Views (01 May 2004)

See all 5 matches for News And Views

RESEARCH

Akirins are highly conserved nuclear proteins required for NF-κB-dependent gene expression in drosophila and mice

Nature Immunology Article (01 Jan 2008)

Function of the drosophila pattern-recognition receptor PGRP-SD in the detection of Gram-positive bacteria

Nature Immunology Article (01 Nov 2004)

See all 23 matches for Research