Scientists have uncovered a way to 'program' immune cells to cause less damage to the body, by tapping into a 'broken' chemical pathway in inflammation.
The team, led by researchers at Imperial College London, Queen Mary University of London and Ergon Pharmaceuticals, believes the approach could offer new hope in the treatment of inflammatory conditions like arthritis, autoimmune diseases and sepsis.
In a study published this week in the journal Nature Communications, they explain how blocking a single enzyme enabled them to reprogram macrophages - the immune cells which are activated in inflammatory conditions - to calm their activity and reduce inflammation in rats and mice with human-like disease.
