title: Macrophage apoptosis in host immunity to mycobacterial infections.
abstract: Macrophage apoptosis occurs within the granuloma, which is essential for successful immunity to tuberculosis. In vitro macrophage apoptosis is associated with the killing of intracellular Mycobacterium tuberculosis. A greater understanding of these observations will lead to new immunotherapies and improved vaccine design. The relevant apoptotic stimuli, the anti-mycobacterial mechanisms that they stimulate and their physiological relevance are reviewed in this paper.
authors.affiliation: Edinburgh University, Edinburgh, UK. ian.fairbairn@lineone.net
authors.forename: I P
authors.initials: IP
authors.lastname: Fairbairn
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D006099:Granuloma / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007109:Immunity; D008264:Macrophages / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology*; D009164:Mycobacterium Infections / Q000378:metabolism*; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000378:metabolism