Jan. 28, 2010 A discovery by associate professor of chemistry
and biochemistry Brian Baker and his research group at the
University of Notre Dame reveals the importance of dynamic
motion by proteins involved in the body's immune response.
Results of the study were published in Immunity, the leading
research journal in the field of immunology. Scientists have
long known that receptors on the immune system's T-cells are
important for discovering and destroying cells that are infected
with viruses or other pathogens. Baker's group studied cross-
reactivity, the ability of different T-cell receptors which
number perhaps a few hundred million in the body to recognize
the vastly larger number of possible antigens produced by other
cells. The process is important for dealing with viruses,
cancers, autoimmunity, transplant rejection and other issues
related to the immune system. Most past studies considered the
receptors on each cell as static components, but in fact the
molecules move and adopt multiple structures. B