Myeloid TBK1 Signaling Contributes to the Immune Response to Influenza

What is it about?

During bacterial or viral pneumonia, damage to the lung can come from both the infectious agent and the immune system's attempt to control the infection. Many different cell types contribute to the immune response to infection, and those cells use a large number of genes and proteins. A protein called TANK-binding kinase 1 (TBK1) is important for responding to bacterial and viral infections, but how it works in influenza pneumonia is not known. We show that in a type of cell called macrophages, TBK1 contributes to the damaging lung inflammation caused by influenza. We find a new role for TBK1 in helping macrophages gets into the lung. Finding a way to block TBK1 from working may help decrease lung damage in certain infections like influenza.

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