Article: How Are White Blood Cells Like Spiderman?

Byline: Innate Immunity Safety NET May Yield Novel Antibiotics, , By Anette Breindl, Science Editor

Long before the body gets around to making antibodies, the innate immune system is doing heavy lifting against bacterial invaders.

And research published in the Feb. 21, 2006, issue of Current Biology suggested a way to help - by blocking a DNA-cutting enzyme that lets bacteria escape the white blood cells that are the innate immune system's first line of defense.

Neutrophils are a type of white blood cells, and it was discovered a few years back that they use extracellular traps, now called NETs, to capture and destroy their foes, the bacterial ...

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