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Scientists Discover Cellular Mechanism that Triggers Immune Responses to DNA Posted: 21 Dec 2012 12:48 PM PST Free-floating pieces of DNA in a cell’s watery interior can mean bad things: invading viruses, bacteria, or parasites, ruptured cellular membranes, or disease. Genetic material is meant to be contained in a cell’s nucleus or key organelles, and when it’s loose, it’s a sign for the immune system that something is wrong. Now, Howard Hughes Medical Institute scientists have discovered the molecular pathway responsible for detecting loose bits of DNA outside a cell’s nucleus in the cytosol and setting off the resulting immune reaction. read more

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