New findings on resting immune cells in autoimmune diseases

New findings on resting immune cells in autoimmune diseases

A groundbreaking discovery in research on autoimmune diseases could revolutionize the previous therapy methods. Scientists from Kiel, Lübeck and Berlin found out when studying immune cells that certain disease -causing cells can pass into a dormant state. These findings are particularly important because the current framework for autoimmune diseases was based on the fact that these immune cells are chronically active and constantly cause inflammation. The study results were recently published in the respected specialist magazine "Immunity".

The research team has analyzed blood samples from patients who suffer from autoimmune diseases. Specifically, it is about three diseases in which the immune system incorrectly attacks the body's own structures. The researchers were able to specifically enrich the rare auto-active immune cells via a newly developed method, known as antigen-reactive T Cell Enrichment (Arte) and thus examine their behavior in more detail. Dr. Carina Saggau, the first author of the study, explains: "Surprisingly, we were able to show that part of these cells passed into a resting state in which they can circulate in the blood for years."

The resting state and its consequences

The discovery of an "exhausted" state of these immune cells represents a decisive progress. According to Professor Alexander Scheffold, one of the senior scientists, the body is forced to develop a mechanism in order to switch off these cells caused by chronic activation. This resting state is already the focus of research for tumor immune cells, and it is believed that similar mechanisms also apply to autoimmune diseases.

A crucial point is that these resting cells can escape therapies that aim to control the over -reactive immune system. Therapy approaches can successfully suppress the symptoms, but the dormant cells could be reactivated by environmental factors or infections, which leads to a re -thrust of the disease. PD Frank Leypoldt, also part of the research team, adds: "This observation explains why current therapies do not offer permanent protection against relapses."

The research group emphasizes that it is now time to develop more specific therapies that target the resting cells. Here, possible approaches from tumor research could be adapted to reactivate these cells and then achieve them therapeutically. In addition, these findings should help deepen the understanding of autoimmune diseases and their therapy options.

The arte method for cell enrichment

The interdisciplinary research team, supported by the Excellence Cluster "Precision Medicine in Chronic Inflammation" (PMI), has developed the ARTE method that enables the rare auto-active T cells within a blood sample. Usually only one of hundreds of thousands of T cells reacts to specific auto antigens. By confronting antigens in the laboratory, T cells can be activated and then isolated, which enables you to gain deeper insights into how it works.

The PMI Excellence Cluster, which will be funded from 2019 to 2025, sets the goal of bundle various approaches to the treatment of chronic inflammation and transferred to clinical practice. The focus is on the early detection of diseases and the prediction of the disease courses.

These new findings could not only lead to therapies more precisely, but also create the foundation for real precision medicine that responds to the individual needs of the patient. In this way, the researchers also hope for insights into other inflammatory diseases in order to better understand their mechanisms.