title: "Dangerous crystals".
abstract: Uric acid (UA) crystals are a potent stimulator of inflammation, but how they activate immune cells is not known. In this issue of Immunity, Ng et al. (2008) provide evidence suggesting that UA activates the Syk kinase via membrane cholesterol.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA. anthony.defranco@ucsf.edu
authors.forename: Anthony L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: DeFranco
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000378:metabolism; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D007249:Inflammation / Q000276:immunology; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D018625:Microscopy, Atomic Force; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D000072377:Syk Kinase; D014527:Uric Acid / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D014527:Uric Acid; D002784:Cholesterol; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; D000072377:Syk Kinase