Protein 'Passports' Fool Immune System To Deliver Medical
Nanoparticles Nanoparticles with the peptide passport (green)
can bind to the macrophage's receptors, signaling they're part
of the body and shouldn't be destroyed. CREDIT: Mary Leonard,
Biomedical Art & Design, University of Pennsylvania (ISNS) --
The body's immune system evolved to identify and destroy foreign
objects that pose a threat, and it's very good at it. What it's
not so good at is distinguishing between harmful invaders and
the implants and nanoparticles used in medical treatments. But
researchers at the University of Pennsylvania think they have
found a way to trick the immune system. By marking nanoparticles
with a customized protein fragment – a sort of molecular
"passport" – researchers enabled the immune system to recognize
the foreign particles and let them through its defenses. White
blood cells called macrophages – Greek for "giant eaters" –
detect, engulf, and get rid of invaders, and they're a key
component of the immune system. D