An explosion of activity in white blood cells prevents inflammation from causing damage inside the spleen. Here, mouse cells have been genetically engineered to make a green glow-in-the-dark protein when they produce acetylcholine – a chemical that interferes with the inflammatory process. The fuse wire for this particular explosion is a splenic nerve (seen here in red). While many other nerves can produce acetylcholine, splenic nerve cells cannot. Instead, they grow tendrils to connect to nearby white blood cells, which can. When the nerve is activated, the white blood cells start to glow bright green. The researchers believe that targeting these white blood cells could help in the treatment of many diseases caused by excessive inflammation.
Written by
BPoD stands for Biomedical Picture of the Day. Managed by the MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences until Jul 2023, it is now run independently by a dedicated team of scientists and writers. The website aims to engage everyone, young and old, in the wonders of biology, and its influence on medicine. The ever-growing archive of more than 4000 research images documents over a decade of progress. Explore the collection and see what you discover. Images are kindly provided for inclusion on this website through the generosity of scientists across the globe.
BPoD is also available in Catalan at www.bpod.cat with translations by the University of Valencia.