Published online recently by The Journal of Cell Science, the findings could eventually lead to new treatments for chronic inflammatory diseases. Cardiovascular disease arising from atherosclerosis (thickening of the arteries) kills around 17 million people worldwide each year, including 120,000 people in England and Wales, while rheumatoid arthritis affects around 400,000 people in the UK.
The UEA team studied a type of white blood cell called monocytes. Monocytes play an important role in the human immune system and help protect our bodies against infection. But they can also invade tissue, triggering the early stages of common inflammatory diseases.
The researchers detected for the first time that monocytes were surrounded by a constant cloud. This cloud was found to be made up of potent inflammatory molecules called adenosine triphosphate, or ATP. Further study showed that the ATP molecules were being propelled through the cell wall by the actions of lysosomes. Lysosomes are sub-cellular compartments within blood cells which had previously been thought to only break down cell waste.
source:http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/07/120705133752.htm
