Immunity: modifying T cells (Introduction)

by David Turell , Saturday, July 07, 2018, 19:05 (2121 days ago) @ Balance_Maintained

Special protein controls are discovered:

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2018-07-scientists-protein-complex-destiny-cells.html

"'This research establishes mTORC1-driven metabolic signaling as a decisive factor in determining the fate of developing T cells and suggests metabolic processes are a fundamental mechanism that connects external signals with internal processes to guide the fate of immune cells," Chi said."

Comment: The immune system is so complex and so precise it must have been designed.

Tony: I wonder how the position within the body of a virus or bacteria needs to attack is transmitted to all of the T cells and white blood cells when they need to converge and attack. I also wonder how they find and identify targets. How do they differentiate between hostile and benign? How do they know how to attack a particular problem? How is that information spread throughout the system? It implies an information pathway that directly increase the information level of the system on a system wide level. Where is this information stored? Could we measure the increase in information if we knew?

Signals are mediated by blood carried proteins and nerve signals. We start life with generalized antibodies like interferon, the colostrum antibodies from Mom if nursed, but must build a library of specific ones throughout life, which is a form of adding useful information. The DNA in thymus cells which provides the newly T cells is the storage point of the info.