There’s more than one way to skin an infection
There are two phases of innate immune control of skin infection by Candida albicans—protective containment and elimination. Now, Santus et al. report that early activation of the transcript factor nuclear factor of activated T cells (NFAT) balances these two phases. During the containment phase, NFAT regulates active TGF-β expression, which induces collagen deposition and traps the microbe. During the elimination phase, NFAT induces IFN-γ that promotes skin ulceration and microbial expulsion. These functions are not restricted to Candida because cross-talk between the innate immune and fibrinolytic responses also contributed to defense against Staphylococcus aureus. This cooperation is critical to minimizing tissue damage while fighting infection.
- Copyright © 2017 The Authors, some rights reserved; exclusive licensee American Association for the Advancement of Science. No claim to original U.S. Government Works
This is an article distributed under the terms of the Science Journals Default License.
