Activated T-regulators will slow down the activity of the immune system
Cells have been found reminding the immune system not to attack "its own"ABC magazine based on Eurek Alert!
– The immune system has protective memory cells, researchers discoverScientists from San Francisco have found out that the human immune system produces a special subtype of cells activated by body tissues that not only suppress an excessive immune response, but also "remind" the immune system not to attack its own cells and organs.
The results of their research are published in the journal Nature (Rosenblum et al., Response to self antigen imprints regulatory memory in tissues – VM). This discovery may lead to the creation of new drugs to combat autoimmune diseases, allergies and tissue rejection after transplantation.
The reason for autoimmune diseases is that lymphocytes, which normally should produce antibodies in response to the "invasion" of the pathogen, begin to produce antibodies in excess against their own cells and tissues. In multiple sclerosis, for example, antibodies are produced to the protein "cases" surrounding the nerves, and in lupus, antibodies attack DNA. The main role in regulating the activity of immune cells is played by special lymphocytes – regulatory T cells (T reg), which control the destruction of cells. However, not all T regs are actively involved in the management of the immune system. Among them there is a special group called activated (activated Treg cells). It was discovered by researchers from the University of California (University of California, San Francisco, UCSF), USA. These cells circulate in the human blood and are the equivalent of immune memory cells that repel microbial attacks after vaccination or upon repeated encounter with the same pathogen.
Immunologist and head of the Department of Pathology at UCSF Abul Abbas and Associate Professor of Dermatology at UCSF Michael Rosenblum wondered why the first manifestation of an autoimmune disease of an organ is always harder and brighter than subsequent relapses. Scientists have studied the immune response of mice suffering from autoimmune skin disease. With the help of a controlled gene mutation, they could "turn on" and "turn off" the synthesis of a certain skin protein – ovalbumin. By creating an overabundance of protein in the mouse body, scientists achieved the development of an autoimmune attack of immune cells on ovalbumin, however, a high concentration of this protein simultaneously activated a small number of T-regulators that began to suppress an excessive immune response. After the researchers again created an excess of protein in the mouse body, the autoimmune response turned out to be much weaker due to the activated T-regulators present in the blood, which have a memory effect.
Scientists hope that further studies of the functioning of activated T-regulators will help not only to create drugs for the treatment of autoimmune diseases that affect almost 50 million Americans, but also to cope with the problem of rejection of donor organs in transplantation.
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29.11.2011