Computer simulations shed light on how immune cells identify foreign antigens
Friday, June 7, 2013 - 14:30
in Biology & Nature
How do immune cells manage to sort through vast numbers of similar-looking proteins within the body to detect foreign invaders and fight infections? McGill researchers used computational tools to examine what kind of solutions immune systems may use to detect small concentrations of foreign antigens (characteristic of potentially harmful infections) in a sea of "self-antigens" normally present at the surface of cells.