A new and key molecular mechanism within macrophages -- infection-fighting cells of the innate immune system -- that determines whether and how well the cells can be trained has been discovered.
Ways to Boost Your Immune System during Cold and Flu Season
Your immune system has to be strong to fight the bacteria and viruses that enter the body and cause illness particularly during the cold and flu season. Learn how to boost your immunity by following these simple tips and home remedies.
Your immune system has to be strong to fight the bacteria and viruses that enter the body and cause illness particularly during the cold and flu season. Learn how to boost your immunity by following these simple tips and home remedies.
‘The human body's immune cells naturally fight off viral and bacterial microbes and other invaders, but they can also be reprogrammed or "trained" to respond even more aggressively and potently to such threats, say scientists who have discovered the fundamental rule underlying this process in a particular class of cells.’
"Like a soldier or an athlete, innate immune cells can be trained by past experiences to become better at fighting infections," said lead author Quen Cheng, Assistant Clinical Professor of infectious diseases at the UCLA's David Geffen School of Medicine However, he noted, the researchers had previously observed that some experiences seemed to be better than others for immune training.
Whether immune training occurs depends on how the DNA of the cell is wrapped. In human cells, for instance, more than 6 feet of DNA must fit into the cell's nucleus, which is so small that it is not visible to the naked eye. To achieve this feat, the DNA is tightly wrapped into chromosomes.
Quiz on Bacterial Infections
Bacteria the tiny single-celled organisms are responsible for a range of infections. Bacteria can be beneficial as in the case of gut bacteria that help digest food. Bacteria that cause infection are known as pathogenic bacteria and can be treated with appropriate antibiotics. Antibiotic-resistant bacteria become resistant to commonly used antibiotics. Examples of antibiotic-resistant bacteria include Staphylococcus aureus, vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE) and multi-drug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MDR-TB) and Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase-producing bacteria (KPC).
Bacteria the tiny single-celled organisms are responsible for a range of infections. Bacteria can be beneficial as in the case of gut bacteria that help digest food. Bacteria that cause infection are known as pathogenic bacteria and can be treated with appropriate antibiotics. Antibiotic-resistant bacteria become resistant to commonly used antibiotics. Examples of antibiotic-resistant bacteria include Staphylococcus aureus, vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE) and multi-drug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MDR-TB) and Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase-producing bacteria (KPC).
However, by introducing a stimulus to a macrophage -- for example, a substance derived from a microbe or pathogen, as in the case of a vaccine -- previously compacted DNA regions can be unwrapped. This unwrapping exposes new genes that will enable the cell to respond more aggressively, in essence training it to fight the next infection, Hoffmann said.
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