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Researchers have discovered that signalling processes between proteins and the immune system are way more complex than previously thought, thanks to a special kind of 'spliced' molecule that's more common than anyone could have predicted.
These molecules were once considered extremely rare, but researchers have found that they actually make up a quarter of the 'flags' that identify toxic or foreign particles in the body – and the discovery could have a huge impact on how we develop vaccines and treat autoimmune conditions.
"It's as if a geographer would tell you they had discovered a new continent, or an astronomer would say they had found a new planet in the Solar System," says systems biologist Michael Stumpf from Imperial College London.
"And just as with those discoveries, we have a lot of exploring to do. This could lead to not only a deeper understanding of how the immune system operates, but also suggests new avenues for therapies and drug and vaccine development."
http://www.sciencealert.com/scienti...-signals-are-like-discovering-a-new-continent