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Apoptosis

Repulsive encounters

Nature volume 418, pages 139–141 (2002)Cite this article

In multicellular organisms, cells are often required to die. They are then eaten by 'phagocytic' cells. But how do the phagocytes distinguish between dead and living prey? New work provides an unexpected answer.

Making decisions on the basis of social cues is an everyday challenge for human beings — and for our cells. On page 200 of this issue, for instance, Brown and colleagues1 describe how predatory immune cells decide whether or not to eat other cells on the basis of a molecular 'handshake'.

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Figure 1: To eat or not to eat?

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  1. the Centre d'Immunologie de Marseille-Luminy, INSERM-CNRS-Université de la Mediterranée, Parc Scientifique de Luminy, Case 906, Marseille, 13288, France

    Giovanna Chimini

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  1. Giovanna Chimini
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Correspondence to Giovanna Chimini.

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Chimini, G. Repulsive encounters. Nature 418, 139–141 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1038/418139a

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