Gut-invading worms befriend enemy T cells to trick immune system
September 28th, 2010 - 4:15 pm ICT by ANIWashington, Sep 28 (ANI): Worms that attack our guts dodge the immune system by inducing the development of suppressive T cells, according to a study.
Immune T cells are essential for the clearance of invading microbes, including intestinal worms, but turning off immune responses is essential for avoiding collateral tissue destruction.
This job falls in part to a population of suppressive T cells called regulatory T (T reg) cells.
A team of researchers, led by Rick Maizels at the University of Edinburgh, show that gut-invading worms produce a protein that generates T reg cells in mice; in this way, the worms facilitate their own survival.
When this T reg-inducing pathway was blocked, the worms were expelled from the body.
T reg cells allow worms to establish a foothold in the gut, but they’re not all bad news.
These cells also suppress allergic responses, which may explain why humans infected with intestinal worms tend to suffer less from allergies.
The study has been published in the Journal of Experimental Medicine. (ANI)
- Blame your gut for your skin allergies - May 03, 2011
- All humans have only 3 types of gut bacteria - Apr 21, 2011
- Breastfeeding key to keeping infant gut healthy - Apr 30, 2012
- Cell population responsible for body's immune response identified - Mar 07, 2011
- Immune cells that act as 'body's border patrol' identified - Feb 08, 2011
- How swallowing worms can heal ulcerative colitis - Dec 02, 2010
- Cell component that triggers cat allergy identified - Mar 10, 2011
- Immune cells that fight parasites but cause allergies, asthma identified - Mar 12, 2010
- Millions could be protected from worm-related infections - May 06, 2011
- Skin bugs protects body from infection - Jul 29, 2012
- New cell type boosts immunity to infection - Nov 30, 2011
- Major advance in fight against autoimmune diseases and allergies - Apr 24, 2011
- Scientists discover E coli's Achilles heel - Jul 16, 2012
- Gut bacteria affect multiple sclerosis: Study - Jul 20, 2010
- Bacteria that may lead to inflammatory bowel disease identified - Sep 17, 2010
Tags: allergic responses, allergies, bad news, collateral, dodge, foothold, guts, immune responses, immune system, intestinal worms, journal of experimental medicine, maizels, mice, microbes, pathway, protein, survival, t cells, tissue destruction, university of edinburgh