Zinc Signaling in Immunity

Dear Colleagues,

For more than 60 years, it has been known that zinc, the second most abundant trace metal, is essential for intact immune function. The WHO estimates that up to one third of the world's population is at risk of zinc deficiency. Zinc plays a crucial role in cell growth, proliferation, differentiation, and activation, and it acts as a cofactor for more than 300 enzymes essential for metabolism, DNA and RNA synthesis, as well as nucleic acid binding through zinc-finger motifs.

Beyond these functions, zinc has also been shown to act as a second messenger independently of calcium. Zinc signaling can be categorized into three types: (1) fast signals (e.g., zinc flux or zinc sparks), (2) intermediate zinc signals (e.g., zinc wave), and (3) homeostatic zinc signals (e.g., modulation of zinc transporters). Lymphocyte activation, leukocyte differentiation and the regulatory functions of lymphocytes have been shown to depend on zinc, and dysregulation of zinc homeostasis is associated with impaired or dysfunctional immune responses.

Understanding zinc's functions is becoming increasingly important due to the growing number of populations at risk of zinc deficiency, such as older adults, vegetarians, and vegans.

Prof. Dr. Lothar Rink
Guest Editor

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