A Signaling Protease Required For Melanization In Drosophila Affects Resistance And Tolerance Of Infections

Organisms evolve two routes to surviving infections-they can resist pathogen growth (resistance) and they can endure the pathogenesis of infection (tolerance). The sum of these two properties together defines the defensive capabilities of the host. Typically, studies of animal defenses focus on either understanding resistance or, to a lesser extent, tolerance mechanisms, thus providing little understanding of the relationship between these two mechanisms.

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Filed under: Infectious Diseases / Bacteria / Viruses on December 11th, 2008