A druggable copper-signalling pathway that drives inflammation

Abstract Inflammation is a complex physiological process triggered in response to harmful stimuli 1 . It involves cells of the immune system capable of clearing sources of injury and damaged tissues. Excessive inflammation can occur as a result of infection and is a hallmark of several diseases 2–4 . The molecular bases underlying inflammatory responses are not fully understood. Here we show that the cell surface glycoprotein CD44, which marks the acquisition of distinct cell phenotypes in the context of development, immunity and cancer progression, mediates the uptake of metals including copper. We identify a pool of chemically reactive copper (ii) in mitochondria of inflammatory macrophages that catalyses…