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Watching the sentinels

Immunologist Federica Benvenuti investigates the guard dogs of the immune system while training young scientists from developing nations.
By
  1. Amber Dance

    1. Amber Dance is a freelance writer in Los Angeles, California.

Federica Benvenuti working in her laboratory in Trieste, Italy.

Federica Benvenuti is a group leader in cellular immunology at the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Trieste, Italy. Credit: Rocco Ceselin for Nature

I’ve been working for 16 years to understand a particular type of immune cell, often called the sentinel of the immune system, that is found in humans and other mammals. Named dendritic cells, they detect dangers, such as pathogenic microorganisms, by collecting molecules from their environment. They show these molecules to other immune-system cells, instructing them to fight the enemy.

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Nature 588, 188 (2020)

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-020-03383-1

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