Interfering with macrophage activation

Microbiology One of the reasons for Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M.tb.) persistence is its ability to block immune responses. In a mouse model of tuberculosis, Rothchild et al. found that M.tb.-infected alveolar macrophages in the lung showed impaired antibacterial responses. These M.tb.-infected macrophages up-regulated an antioxidant transcription signature driven by the transcription factor NRF2 (nuclear factor erythroid 2–related factor 2). Loss of NRF2 in myeloid cells lowered bacterial burdens. Thus, NRF2 is important in regulating early interactions between M.tb. and host immune cells. Sci. Immunol. 4 , eaaw6693 (2019).