A new study by an Australian research team found that tissue-resident memory T cells (TRM cells) have different molecular characteristics and behaviors in different tissue environments of the human body. This discovery may help develop a new generation of COVID- which acts on lung tissues. 19 Vaccines.
TRM cells are a kind of immune cells that only exist in human tissues. It has been found that these cells play an important role in resisting the invasion of viruses by the human immune system.
A research team led by the “Peter Dougherty Institute of Infection and Immunity” in Australia compared barrier organs (such as skin) exposed to the environment with solid organs such as the liver and found that the tissue environment where TRM cells reside has a significant impact The way these cells exert their immune function. In different human tissues, TRM cells will quickly adapt to surrounding molecules and proteins like a chameleon, and exhibit different functions and durability. Related papers have been published in the British journal Nature Immunology.
Studies have found that there is a protein called transforming growth factor-β in the skin that can inhibit the activation of TRM cells in unnecessary circumstances, so as to prevent the human immune system from attacking itself. But the TRM cells in the skin will "attack" when the body encounters a real threat, and it can last for a long time. But there is no similar "mechanism" involving transforming growth factor-β in the liver to inhibit TRM cells, so TRM cells can form "a huge army" to fight infection. However, due to the shorter half-life of TRM cells in the liver, they may not be able to "fight" for a long time.
The researchers said that the discovery that TRM cells have unique molecular characteristics and behaviors in specific tissues will help develop effective vaccines and immunotherapies based on T cells. Respiratory viruses such as COVID-19 virus can effectively T cell immunity and form infection memory at locations that may be in contact with pathogens to deal with possible future infections.
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