Did you know that the innate immune DNA sensor TLR9 is on the membrane of red blood cells? I didn’t know that. To learn about why it’s there, listen to Immune episode #50. In that episode we review evidence that toll-like receptor 9 on the surface of red blood cells binds DNA, leading to uptake by macrophages and innate immune activation.
innate immune sensor
An inborn error of innate immunity leading to severe rhinovirus infections
When a human population is exposed to a pathogenic virus, the outcomes among individuals may include asymptomatic, mild, severe, or no infection. Multiple parameters control these responses, including the amount of virus taken up, the age of the host, general health status, nutrition, and more. With the advent of whole exome sequencing we can now assess the role of genotype in disease severity, as illustrated by a study of a child with severe recurrent rhinovirus infections.
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