New research opens the door to influence the immune system -
A new international collaboration involving scientists at the Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) opens a door to influence the system immune, which would be useful to enhance the effectiveness of vaccines to fight against autoimmune diseases such as lupus and rheumatoid arthritis.
research, published on August 1, 2016, in The Journal of Experimental Medicine , focused on a molecule called microRNA-155 (miR-155), a key player in the production of immune system antibodies that fight disease.
"It is very exciting to see exactly how this molecule works in the body," said TSRI Associate Professor Changchun Xiao, who co-led the study with Professor Wen-Hsien Liu University Xiamen in the province of Fuijan, China.
An immune tango system
Our cells rely on molecules called microRNA (miRNA) as a kind of "dimmer" to carefully regulate the levels of protein and fight disease.
"people know miRNAs are involved in the immune response, but they do not know what miRNA and how exactly," said IRST Research Associate Zhe Huang, co-first author research with Liu and Seung Goo Kang TSRI and Kangwon national University.
in the new study, the researchers focused on the role of miRNAs during the critical period when the immune system first detects "invaders" such as viruses or bacteria. At this time, the cells called follicular helper T proliferate and migrate to another area of the lymphatic organs to interact with B cells
"They are a kind of tango" has said Xiao.
this interaction induces B cells to mature and produce effective antibodies, possibly offering a long-term protection against infection.
"the next time you encounter this virus for example, the body can react quickly, "said Xiao.
identification of a dancer
using a technique called deep sequencing, the team identified miR-155 as a potential part of this process. Studies in mouse models suggested that miR-155 works by suppressing a protein called Peli1. This leaves a molecule called c-Rel free to skip and promote proliferation of normal T cells.
The discovery could help scientists improve existing vaccines. Although vaccines are life saving, some vaccines wear off after a decade or cover only about 80 percent of those vaccinated.
"If you can increase T cell proliferation using a molecule that mimics miR-155, perhaps you might stimulate that 0 to 95 percent," said Xiao. He also sees potential for the use of miR-155 to help create more sustainable vaccines.
The search can also request the treatment of autoimmune diseases, which occur when antibodies mistakenly attack their own body tissues. Xiao and his colleagues think an inhibitor of the mRNA could reconstruct the response of miR-155 in the T cell proliferation and antibody production is in overdrive.
The next step of this research, Xiao plans to collaborate with scientists on the Florida campus of TSRI to test potential miRNA inhibitors against autoimmune disease.
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