PTEN prevents the cytokine storm

Immunology An uncontrolled infection leads to sepsis, in which excessive production of proinflammatory cytokines, or a “cytokine storm,” can cause potentially fatal tissue damage and organ failure. Sisti et al. found that septic mice had increased expression of the mRNA encoding the lipid and protein phosphatase PTEN. Mice lacking PTEN in myeloid cells showed greater inflammation, tissue injury, and mortality from sepsis. PTEN activity in the nucleus of macrophages induced the production of microRNAs that targeted Myd88 mRNA, which encodes an adaptor protein required for cytokine production. Sci. Signal. 11 , eaai9085 (2018).