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Early inflammatory response paralyzes T cells - implications for immunotherapy, autoimmune disorders

Kyla

ᴀɴɴɪᴇ ɢꜱᴀᴍᴩᴇʟ
Messages
721
Location
Canada
Press release:
http://m.ucdmc.ucdavis.edu/publish/news/newsroom/10256

Journal article here:

http://www.cell.com/immunity/abstract/S1074-7613(15)00267-8?_returnURL=http://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S1074761315002678?showall=true


UC Davis team finds early inflammatory response paralyzes T cells

Findings could have enormous implications for immunotherapy, autoimmune disorders, transplants and other aspects of immunity

In a discovery that is likely to rewrite immunology text books, researchers at UC Davis have found that early exposure to inflammatory cytokines, such as interleukin 2, can “paralyze” CD4 T cells, immune components that help orchestrate the body’s response to pathogens and other invaders.


William Murphy
This mechanism may act as a firewall, shutting down the immune response before it gets out of hand. However, from a clinical standpoint, this discovery could lead to more effective cancer immunotherapies, better drugs for autoimmune conditions and new ways to expedite recovery from sepsis. The research, online July 28, appears in today’s print edition of the journal Immunity.

“There’s a three-signal process to activate T cells of which each component is essential for proper activation,” said first author Gail Sckisel, a post-doctoral fellow. “But no one had really looked at what happens if they are delivered out of sequence. If the third signal – cytokines – is given prematurely, it basically paralyzes CD4 T cells.”

To be activated, T cells must first recognize an antigen, receive appropriate costimulatory signals, and then encounter inflammatory cytokines to expand the immune response. Until now, no one realized that sending the third signal early – as is done with some immunotherapies – could actually hamper overall immunity...