Molecular genetics of macrophage activation.

这个项目涉及被称为巨噬细胞的白细胞的基本生物学。巨噬细胞是立即防御感染、修复伤口和组织正常周转所必需的，但它们也可以产生导致疾病的有毒产物，特别是在炎症性疾病和癌症中。我们正试图利用小鼠基因组信息的可用性来制作巨噬细胞对潜在致病微生物的挑战做出反应的完整图景，以及个体之间遗传差异的影响。

This project concerns the basic biology of white blood cells called macrophages. Macrophages are required for the immediate defence against infection, as well as wound repair and normal turnover of tissues, but they can also produce toxic products that cause illness, especially in inflammatory diseases and cancer. We are attempting to use the availability of mouse genome information to produce a complete picture of the way that macrophages respond to a challenge from a potential disease-causing microorganism, and the influence of genetic differences between individuals.