Tag : Immunological

Columbia: For a long time, researchers have worked to understand the immune reactions that take place in the human body during various illnesses, such as cancer and inflammatory disorders. Emma Teixeiro, an associate professor in the MU School of Medicine, and her group recently examined how immunological memory, which the body's immune system retains after an infection or vaccination and helps prevent reinfection, gets generated and maintained, as well as the role inflammation plays in forming that immunological memory. "Our immune system defends us from disease, but it is a very complicated system with many interactions occurring, and if things get dysregulated, it may actually play a role in causing disease," said Teixeiro, who works in the NextGen Precision Health Institute on MU's campus. "So, our research focuses on better understanding how these immune responses can be generated and controlled, specifically by looking at the critical role T cells play, as T cells help protect the body from infection and may play a role in attacking cancer." Using a mouse model, the researchers created various strains of pathogenic bacteria that increased levels of inflammation through the stimulator of interferon genes - or STING - proteins inside of T cells. While many scientists assumed this increase in inflammation would result in a stronger immune response and therefore stronger immunological memory, Teixeiro and her team found the opposite: immunological memory was reduced. "Some scientists in the field believe STING activation may be targeted to improve cancer vaccines or immunotherapies, so gaining a basic understanding of all the interacting mechanisms at play is critical to reduce the chances of unintended consequences or harmful si ...