Mitochondrial missile defense

A relatively obscure immune cell, the eosinophil, has a dramatic way of defending against pathogens. It rapidly ejects mitochondrial DNA, ensnaring bacteria and hastening their demise (pages 949–953). Eosinophils, a specialized granulocytic cell type derived from the bone marrow, are a biological and medical enigma. Recent attention has focused upon these curious cells with the emergence of a series of gastrointestinal disorders now referred to as eosinophil-associated gastrointestinal disorders (EGIDs)1.