Valéria M. Borges, Ph.D.

Research

Apoptosis is a tightly controlled process of cell death that is critical for development, host defense, tissue remodeling, immune regulation and resolution of inflammation. Following the death of unwanted cells, apoptosis can either proceed through silent corpse removal or can elicit acute inflammation. However, the factors that determine these opposite outcomes remain largely unknown. Neutrophils play a central role in this process, because they constitutively die by apoptosis at inflammatory sites. Elucidation of mechanisms and consequences of the clearance of apoptotic neutrophils could provide new targets for treatment of inflammatory diseases.