When humans or animals get infected, the body's immune system tries to not only clear the infection but also build up a memory of the pathogen that caused it. So, when the pathogen comes around again for possible reinfection, the body has an army of memory T cells that can recognize and destroy it. These T cells are a critical part of immunological memory, and an important component of efficient vaccines.
Now, researchers at the University of Missouri are one step closer to making the T cell army stronger.
Emma Teixeiro and Mark A. Daniels, associate professors in the MU School of Medicine, led the study, which involved unique mouse models of influenza"Immunologists like myself have always wondered why T cells in the lungs after influenza infection disappear so quickly," Teixeiro said."This research can help us solve that problem by increasing the amount of T cells that can fight against infection.
Teixeiro added that T cells can recognize parts of viruses that do not mutate, so if researchers can better understand how to strengthen the T cells and extend the timeframe when they can do their job appropriately, the body's immune system will ultimately be better suited to fight against infection and lessen the severity.
"By unveiling the biochemical and molecular secrets of these T cells, we can provide valuable information to other scientists who work on optimizing vaccine strategies," Teixeiro said."The good news is there are already clinical treatments that do target this particular pathway we identified, so this study is a big step in the right direction, but we still have a long way to go.
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