Antimicrobial functions of inflammasomes.

This article reviews cytokine-dependent and cytokine-independent host defence pathways engaged by inflammasomes during infection. Such inflammatory and antimicrobial mechanisms include the recruitment and activation of immune cells, the production of lipid mediators and complement proteins, the induction of the acute-phase and fever responses, the modulation of serum metallic ion content and the release of intracellular bacteria by pyroptotic cell death.
PMID: 23466299 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

Source: Current Opinion in Microbiology - March 2, 2013 Category: Microbiology Authors: Chen KW, Schroder K Tags: Curr Opin Microbiol Source Type: research