BPoD has moved!

BPoD has recently changed our domain name - we can now be found at bpod.org.uk

Please update your bookmarks!

Now in our 13th year of bringing you beautiful imagery from biomedical science every day

Search the archive of over 4000 images

Fighting Flames

Route of circulation of immune progenitor cells from the bone marrow to sites of inflammation revealed

20 June 2021

Fighting Flames

Our bodies must respond swiftly to infection, calling upon fleets of immune cells that migrate towards a pathogen. Yet as the immune defenders pile in, the surrounding tissue swells with inflammation that's both necessary and potential harmful. To keep inflammation in check, researchers find our bodies produce a balance of pro- and anti-inflammatory cells. Pictured with a high-powered microscope inside this mouse’s thigh bone (highlighted in turquoise with its cell nuclei in blue), we see the likely route that progenitor cells – destined to become anti-inflammatory cells – take as they leave the bone marrow. Guided by a series of chemical signals triggered by the raging immune battle, the cells migrate through a network of lymphatic vessels (red) towards the site of infection where they calm the inflammation. Exploring these chemical changes may one day help to prevent over-zealous immune responses, avoiding conditions like sepsis.

Written by John Ankers

Search The Archive

Submit An Image

Follow on Tumblr

Follow on Instagram

What is BPoD?

BPoD stands for Biomedical Picture of the Day. Managed by the MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences until Jul 2023, it is now run independently by a dedicated team of scientists and writers. The website aims to engage everyone, young and old, in the wonders of biology, and its influence on medicine. The ever-growing archive of more than 4000 research images documents over a decade of progress. Explore the collection and see what you discover. Images are kindly provided for inclusion on this website through the generosity of scientists across the globe.

Read More

BPoD is also available in Catalan at www.bpod.cat with translations by the University of Valencia.