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Autoimmunity: apoptotic fats grease transcription

Nature Medicine volume 15, pages 1246–1248 (2009)Cite this article

Transcription factors known for handling the body's response to lipids promote clearance of apoptotic cells by macrophages, according to new research (pages 1266–1272). When this process goes awry, autoimmunity can result.

Every day, the billions of effete cells that undergo the programmed form of cell death, apoptosis, are removed by phagocytes. Advances over the last decade have led to the identification of ligands on apoptotic cells and receptors on phagocytes that recognize dying cells and engulf them, substantially adding to the understanding of the process1. Until recently, however, what happens immediately after macrophages ingest their corpse has largely been neglected.

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Figure 1: Disposing of the dead.

Marina Corral

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Keith B. Elkon is in the Departments of Medicine and Immunology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA.,

    Keith B Elkon

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  1. Keith B Elkon
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Correspondence to Keith B Elkon.

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Elkon, K. Autoimmunity: apoptotic fats grease transcription. Nat Med 15, 1246–1248 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1038/nm1109-1246

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nm1109-1246

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