Nitric Oxide and the Adaptive Immune Response

NO is a key messenger in the pathogenesis of inflammation. In the immune system, NO has been considered to be a cytotoxic molecule associated with the response of phagocytic cells to pathogens as part of the first line of host defence against infection. However, NO can also link innate and adaptive immunity. By targeting signalling molecules, NO regulates the immune response, and is a target for therapeutic manipulation. In the last years, our group has been interested in the study of the actions exerted by NO in T cell functions, focusing on protein S-nitrosylation and fatty acid nitration, leading to the formation of important post-translational modifications by which NO can act as a signalling molecule during T cell-mediated immunity.