|
|
Article: Immune system's natural killer cells linked to infant liver disease.
- Article from:
- Asian News International
- Article date:
- July 23, 2009
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2009 Al Bawaba (Middle East) Ltd. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
|
Byline: ANI
Washington, July 23 (ANI): Researchers at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center have found that an overactive response by one of the immune system's key weapons against infection - natural killer, or NK, cells - is linked to the onset of biliary atresia in infants, a disease where blocked bile ducts can cause severe liver damage and death.
They also found that blocking a gene that helps NK cells attack bile duct tissues lessens damage and may be a way to treat the most common cause of chronically progressive liver disease in children.
"Our findings underscore the developing immune system's role in causing injury to bile ...