title: Does a quorum sensing mechanism direct the behavior of immune cells?
abstract: Quorum sensing is a decision-making process used by decentralized groups such as colonies of bacteria to trigger a coordinated behavior. The existence of decentralized coordinated behavior has also been suggested in the immune system. In this paper, we explore the possibility for quorum sensing mechanisms in the immune response. Cytokines are good candidates as inducer of quorum sensing effects on migration, proliferation and differentiation of immune cells. The existence of a quorum sensing mechanism should be explored experimentally. It may provide new perspectives into immune responses and could lead to new therapeutic strategies.
authors.affiliation: Collège de France, Chair of molecular immunology, 11, place Marcelin-Berthelot, 75005 Paris, France. perie.leila@gmail.com
authors.forename: Leïla
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Perié
authors.forename: Juhan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Aru
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kourilsky
authors.forename: Jean-Jacques
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Slotine
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001419:Bacteria / Q000276:immunology*; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D016207:Cytokines / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular / Q000502:physiology*; D053038:Quorum Sensing / Q000276:immunology* / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines