When pathogens invade the body, the immune system must respond immediately to prevent or contain infection. But how do our immune cells stay ready when there is no attacker in sight? Scientists in Vienna and Salzburg have come up with a fascinating explanation: They are stimulated by healthy tissue. This means that they never come to rest and are immediately ready for action when needed. This finding could be used in the future to develop drugs that specifically increase the alertness of our immune system.

The study was published in the journal Nature Immunology (DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1038/s41590-024-01804-1).