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Constant exposure of cells to stressing agents, such as pathogens, may disturb an organism's normal functioning. To fight stress, cells have developed several coping mechanisms, including the inflammatory response.
In a new paper published in Science, EMBL Grenoble researchers provide essential insights on the molecular activation of the MAP kinase p38α, the final switch triggering the inflammatory response. Inflammation is a cellular coping mechanism when confronted with stress, such as an infection. However, too much inflammation can damage the functioning of cells and organs. This is the case with cytokine storms, inflammatory cascades that can lead to severe disease and death, recently highlighted during the COVID-19 pandemic. These results open up new directions to develop drugs to prevent cytokine...