An example of scientific writing which includes technical terms ('eat me signals', 'do not eat me signals') that may be perceived as figurative by novice or non-specialist readers.
The engagement of RBC CD47 with macrophage SIRPα delivers an inhibitory ("don't eat me") signal to the macrophage, preventing phagocytosis. As an example, in murine models, CD47-deficient RBCs are cleared far more rapidly than control RBCs by splenic macrophages. But CD47's functional role in RBCs appears to be more complicated than simply inhibiting phagocytosis. In studies of many types of cells undergoing apoptosis, the CD47-SIRPα interaction has been shown to serve as an important signal promoting phagocytosis. Recent data suggest that CD47 molecules may undergo conformational changes as RBCs age, perhaps as a result of accumulated oxidative damage. After adopting its alternate conformation, RBC CD47 may provide an activating ("eat me") signal to the macrophage via SIRPα ligation rather than the usual inhibitory/"don't eat me" signal.
Kaufman, Richard (2018) Red Blood Cell Life Span, Senescence, and Destruction, in Edward J. Benz, Nancy Berliner, & Fred J. Schiffman, Anemia. Pathophysiology, Diagnosis, and Management, Cambridge University Press, 19-22.
