How dying cells prevent dangerous immune reactions

(German Cancer Research Center (Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, DKFZ)) Dying cells in the body can keep the immune system in check, thus preventing unwanted immune responses against the body's own tissues. Scientists from the German Cancer Research Center have now identified a receptor on murine immune cells that activates this protective mechanism and can thus prevent dangerous autoimmune reactions in which the immune system attacks the patient's own body tissues.