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Updated: Jul 18, 2026

Atomic Absorbance Spectroscopy to Measure Intracellular Zinc Pools in Mammalian Cells
Published on: May 16, 2019
Zinc homeostasis and immunity
1Institute of Immunology, RWTH Aachen University Hospital, D-52074 Aachen, Germany. LRink@UKAachen.de
Zinc is an essential trace element for the immune system, and zinc deficiency compromises the function of primarily T cells but also of several other immune cells. Recently, zinc homeostasis has been demonstrated to affect dendritic cells, in particular the involvement of zinc transport proteins during lipopolysaccharide-induced upregulation of major histocompatibility complex proteins and co-stimulatory molecules. This adds to our understanding of the immunomodulatory potential of zinc and highlights its significance for immune function.
Zinc is an essential trace element for the immune system, and zinc deficiency compromises the function of primarily T cells but also of several other immune cells. Recently, zinc homeostasis has been demonstrated to affect dendritic cells, in particular the involvement of zinc transport proteins during lipopolysaccharide-induced upregulation of major histocompatibility complex proteins and co-stimulatory molecules. This adds to our understanding of the immunomodulatory potential of zinc and highlights its significance for immune function.
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