"Unveiling the Unexpected: A Major Immune Regulator Takes on a Surprising New Role"

Researchers from MIT and Harvard Medical School have discovered a surprising new function of the immune system protein STING. They found that STING can act as an ion channel, allowing protons to leak out of the Golgi body, an organelle within cells. This makes STING the first human immune sensor that can translate danger signals into ion flow. The discovery sheds light on how STING activates autophagy and inflammasome formation, two critical defense mechanisms. Understanding this mechanism could lead to the development of new therapeutics to modulate STING and treat various diseases.