Fat Cells in Skin Kill Bacteria

Scientists reported today that adipocytes in mouse and human skin produce an antimicrobial peptide (AMP) called cathelicidin is response to Staph aureus infections, including MRSA. Experimental animals that were deficient in the AMP were more susceptible to skin infections. Adipocytes may recognize S. aureus by detecting bacterial peptides with toll-like receptors (TLRs), but more work is needed to fully understand the mechanisms.This finding adds more to our understanding of human skin as a vital part of our body's defenses against infection.  It also opens the door to understanding how diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and other conditions can reduce resistance to skin infections by altering the availability of AMPs in the fat associated with skin. All of this may eventually lead to additional—perhaps more effective—strategies in preventing or curing serious skin infections such as MRSA.What can we use from this in teaching undergraduate A&P?Mention this discovery when discussing the roles of adipose tissue and adipocytes in your coverage of tissues of the body. This is a good point to mention when discussing the protective functions of the skin when covering the integumentary system.When discussing the immune system, this concept helps illustrate several important principles:The role of the skin as the first line of defense against infectionThe variety of mechanisms available in the skin to act defensivelyThe role of TLRs and pattern recognition in immunityTh...
Source: The A and P Professor - Category: Physiology Authors: Source Type: blogs