A molecular switch to stop inflammation

Our immune system is vital to us and can sometimes overreact causing chronic illnesses, such as for instance rheumatism and allergy. Now, researchers from Umeå University and University of Gothenburg have identified a molecular switch - MYSM1 - that can suppress such an overreaction and avoid inflammation. The study is published in the prestigious journal Immunity. "The discovery of MYSM1 is a major milestone in our understanding of how our immune system works, and how its response could be controlled in order to prevent inflammatory diseases such as sepsis," says Nelson O. Gekara, research leader at MIMS, Molecular Infection Medicine Sweden at Umeå University. Our innate immune system is activated when our body needs to protect itself against pathogens, for instance bacteria and viruses, as well as for tissue healing. In some people, the immune system overreacts which can cause chronic inflammatory diseases and result in tumour development. The innate immune system is activated by receptors that recognise certain molecular patterns found on microbes or dead cells.