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Adapted translation by Yevhen Shagov
from the article by the University of Cambridge
Scientists at the University of Cambridge have discovered that a type of white blood cell, known as regulatory T cells, represents a large population of cells constantly moving throughout the body in search of damaged tissues to repair. This discovery challenges the traditional view that regulatory T cells exist as multiple specialized populations confined to specific parts of the body. Every disease, injury, or infection triggers an immune response, and this discovery could help us control these processes.
Researchers suggest that these findings mean it may be possible to turn off the body's immune response and repair damage in any specific part of the body without affecting the rest of it.
This means that diseases could be treated with higher doses of targeted medications, potentially leading to faster results.
“We've uncovered new rules of the immune system. This 'single army of healers' can do practically everything: repair damaged muscles, make fat cells respond better to insulin, regenerate hair follicles. Just think about the vast range of diseases we could potentially treat using this—it's incredible! It has the potential to be applied to almost everything!” says Professor Adrian Liston from the Department of Pathology at the University of Cambridge, senior author of the paper.
To achieve this breakthrough, researchers analyzed regulatory T cells present in 48 different tissues in mice. This showed that the cells are neither specialized nor static but move throughout the body to where they are needed.
Scientists are now confident that, since we know regulatory T cells are present throughout the body, we can potentially create localized immunosuppression and tissue regeneration targeting specific organs — this is a significant improvement compared to current treatments, where we often “shoot a cannon at sparrows.”
Using a drug they have already developed, the researchers demonstrated in animal models that it’s possible to direct regulatory T cells to a specific part of the body, increase their numbers, and activate them to turn off the immune response and promote healing of just one organ or tissue.
This new type of treatment involves increasing the number of regulatory T cells in targeted areas of the body, which could be used to treat autoimmune diseases, such as multiple sclerosis, and many infectious diseases.
Most symptoms of infections, such as COVID-19, do not arise from the virus itself but from the body’s immune response to it.
Once the peak of the disease passes, regulatory T cells should turn off the body’s immune response, but in some people, this process is inefficient and can lead to serious problems. The new discovery suggests that drugs could be used to turn off the immune response in the lungs of a patient, allowing the immune system in other parts of the body to continue functioning normally.
For instance, people who undergo organ transplants must take immunosuppressants for life to prevent the rejection of the transplanted organ, as the body mounts a strong immune response against it. However, this leaves them vulnerable to infections. The new discovery may help develop drugs that suppress the immune response against the transplanted organ while allowing the rest of the immune system to function normally, enabling patients to live a regular life.
Most white blood cells attack infections in the body, triggering an immune response. In contrast, regulatory T cells shut down the immune response once its job is done and focus on repairing the damage it caused. Clinical trials on humans are planned for the coming years to test the results of this research.
But the prospects are impressive! Today, we already have powerful targeted therapy tools, such as SVF therapy (stem cells from one’s own fat) in orthopedics, which, if started early and treated systematically, can replace joint surgery, or KLEONIKA (autologous fibroblast therapy) to combat age-related skin changes. However, these are quite complex biotechnologies, and here we’re talking about components of the blood!
If we manage to gain control over immunity and the reparative mechanisms regulated by T cells, it will be a true breakthrough, making it equally feasible to elevate transplantation to a new level and restore hair density without the need for transplants. It's truly astonishing to witness the remarkable era we're living in!
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