Actin exposure as a universal trigger of inflammation

Inflammation is a response to microbial invasion or tissue damage designed to eliminate the offending stimulus, clear debris and stimulate tissue repair. Although much is known about the pathways that trigger inflammation in response to pathogen invasion, the induction of sterile inflammation following tissue injury remains poorly understood. This is an important area because dysregulated and/or chronic inflammation, often of sterile origin, is increasingly recognised to be a contributing factor to a vast range of human diseases, from cancer to neurodegeneration. During this award Dr Reis e Sousa will explore whether exposure of the actin cytoskeleton following cell damage contributes to sterile inflammation across species, and will investigate underlying mechanisms.