Infection of cd44-/- bone marrow derived macrophages by Listeria monocytogenes, but not by Salmonella typhimurium, led, in comparison to WT macrophages, to strongly reduced bacterial intracellular proliferation, paralleled by severely reduced or delayed induction of IL-1, of several other cytokines and of iNOS [19], thus suggesting that CD44 promoted bacterial multiplication. The gene discussed is CD44; the disease is infection.