Long non-coding RNA emerges as a 'kill switch' for macrophages

MedicalXpress | июл 20, 2026

Macrophages are considered the "scavenger cells" of the immune system, but some pathogens exploit these very cells as hiding places. Researchers from the Helmholtz Institute for RNA-based Infection Research (HIRI) in Würzburg and Philipps-Universität Marburg have discovered a mechanism that helps immune cells balance their response to infection: a long noncoding ribonucleic acid called SAILR that acts as an apoptosis regulator. The findings were published in the journal PNAS.