MACROPHAGES ON THE MOVE: VISUALIZATION OF PATROLLING ALVEOLAR MACROPHAGES
More than 10,000 liters of non-sterile air pass through our lungs each day. Although most pathogens are filtered out in the upper respiratory tract, evidence suggests that some bacteria make their way into the alveoli where oxygen and carbon dioxide are exchanged in the lungs. In their recently published work, a research team led by Paul Kubes at the University of Calgary in Alberta, Canada developed a method for visualizing alveolar macrophages (AMs) as they clear bacteria from the lungs. Using Bio X Cell’s anti-Mouse IFN? antibody (Clone: XMG1.2), they discovered that infection with respiratory viruses such as flu or COVID-19 paralyzes macrophages through the type II interferon signaling pathway, paving the way for potentially deadly secondary bacterial infections. |