Externalized histone H4 orchestrates chronic inflammation by inducing lytic cell death

Many chronic disorders result from disrupting immune responses. An international study (6 countries) conducted by Oliver Soehnlein of LMU Munich, including the AFM team at CEA/IRIG/IBS in Grenoble, has shown that neutrophils exacerbate atherosclerosis by causing the death of smooth muscle cells under the effect of the H4 histone and that a suitable peptide is able to inhibit the process.

Silvestre-Roig C, et al. (2019) Externalized histone H4 orchestrates chronic inflammation by inducing lytic cell death. Nature 569 : 236-240.