Ações do Zinco na Saúde Humana – Artigo 10
Zinc as a Gatekeeper of Immune Function
After the discovery of zinc deficiency in the 1960s, it soon became clear that zinc is
essential for the function of the immune system. Zinc ions are involved in regulating intracellular signaling pathways in innate and adaptive immune cells. Zinc homeostasis is largely controlled via the expression and action of zinc “importers” (ZIP 1–14), zinc “exporters” (ZnT 1–10), and zinc-binding proteins. Anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties of zinc have long been documented, however, underlying mechanisms are still not entirely clear. ...