| Dictionary, Encyclopedia and Thesaurus - The Free Dictionary 1,761,237,387 visitors served. |
|
Dictionary/ thesaurus | Medical dictionary | Legal dictionary | Financial dictionary | Acronyms | Idioms | Encyclopedia | Wikipedia encyclopedia | ? |
defensin |
Also found in: Wikipedia | 0.02 sec. |
|
defensin /de·fen·sin/ (de-fen´sin) any of a group of small antimicrobial cationic peptides occurring in neutrophils and macrophages. defensin [difen′sin] a peptide with natural antibiotic activity found within human neutrophils. Three types of defensins have been identified, each consisting of a chain of about 30 amino acids. Similar molecules occur in white blood cells of other animal species. They show activity toward viruses and fungi, in addition to bacteria. How to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us, add a link to this page, add the site to iGoogle, or visit webmaster's page for free fun content. |
|
| ? Mentioned in | ? References in periodicals archive | |
|---|---|---|
| In other studies, Cryptosporidium parvum infection activated both CD4+ and CD8+ gamma/delta T cells, and Giardia species stimulated the release of several effector molecules, including defensins, cryptdins, and indolicidin. Researcher Jay Levy, who was the flint to recognize that a protein blocks HIV replication and has spent the last 16 years working to isolate it, told the Los Angeles Times that researchers "have looked at defensins in the past. The defensins are believed to block all HIV, and to act through a completely different mechanism -possible involving viral transcription, instead of viral entry into the cell. |
| Medical Dictionary |
| Free Tools: |
For surfers:
Free toolbar & extensions |
Word of the Day |
Help
For webmasters: Free content | Linking | Lookup box | Double-click lookup | Partner with us |
|---|