Experts highlight major shift in immunology

While participating in a two-day India-EMBO Lecture Course on ‘Cell-Autonomous Defence and Innate Immunity’ held at CCMB, experts highlighted a major shift in immunology, the realisation that a cell’s defence and self-destruct programmes are not isolated, but rather tightly interconnected

Hyderabad: Leading experts in the field of immunity, while participating in a two-day India-EMBO Lecture Course on ‘Cell-Autonomous Defence and Innate Immunity’ held at Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), highlighted a major shift in immunology, the realisation that a cell’s defence and self-destruct programmes are not isolated, but rather tightly interconnected.

The key takeaway from the meeting is the emerging consensus that Innate Immune Signalling (the body’s non-specific first line of defence), Autophagy (the cell’s self-recycling system), and Programmed Cell Death work together as a single, coordinated network, a press release from CCMB said.

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Speakers emphasised that disturbances in one pathway can profoundly affect the others, influencing a wide range of diseases, including infections, autoimmune disorders, cancer, and neurodegeneration.

Scientists shared evidence confirming that all cells possess a sophisticated ‘first-responder system’. This system can sense invading microbes, remove damaged internal components, and, when necessary, activate emergency shutdown programs. Understanding these early defence steps is now crucial for explaining why some infections and inflammatory conditions become severe while others remain mild.

The successful hosting of this high-level international course solidifies CCMB’s role at the forefront of cellular and molecular biology research, contributing significantly to the global understanding of innate immunity, the press release added.