Exercise generates immune cells in bone marrow

[Learner1]

This news came out today:

https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-00419-y

A specialized type of bone-cell progenitor has been identified in the bone marrow, and shown to support the generation of immune cells called lymphocytes in response to movement...

...The discovery that mechanosensitive osteogenic progenitors have a role in fighting bacterial infections is exciting. It was known that movement can stimulate the immune system7, but the advance in Shen and colleagues’ work provides one reason why this is the case. If relevant to humans, the work could have direct clinical applications. For example, the pathway uncovered in the current study could be harnessed to develop better therapies to strengthen immune-cell output triggered by movement.

A logical next step will be to test whether voluntary running can indeed improve bacterial clearance in mice. Another key question to address will be whether increasing the numbers of Oln+ cells and CLPs in bone marrow would help to provide protection against other disease-causing bacteria, or even viruses, or whether it might also boost vaccination responses.

 

[Wolfcub]

This is fascinating. Thank you @Learner1

But....I am flummoxed as to why I developed ME/CFS after what felt like some random flu in 2018(not infection that was naturally fought off by the immune system) -when I had exercised healthily for many years prior to that (ate a very healthy diet, slept soundly etc). My immune system should have been tip-top, as it always had been before.

And interestingly again, my immune system did a wonderful job when faced with Covid-19. I was impressed.

So for us, there's a missing link.....somewhere.

A logical next step will be to test whether voluntary running can indeed improve bacterial clearance in mice.

I like the word "voluntary" in this context.

 

[Judee]

So for us, there's a missing link.....somewhere.

That's what I was going to say. To find out what is missing wouldn't they have to be able to see if it still happens in mice...with ME/CFS? When we still do not have a diagnostic to even say those mice have the disease?