Immunity complexity: molecular controls for overreactions (Introduction)

by David Turell , Thursday, March 25, 2021, 20:12 (1338 days ago) @ David Turell

Overactive immune reactions can be dangerous to normal tissue:

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2021-03-scientists-goldilocks-protein-critical-immune.html

"Scientists at Sinai Health say they have discovered a new pathway that controls dangerous overreactions in a body's immune system, including deadly forms of hyper-inflammation.

"In new findings out today in the journal Science, researchers at the Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute (LTRI) detail how a protein known as WAVE2, a protein expressed in all immune cells, plays a critical role in maintaining immune system balance.

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"'Much like Goldilocks, a proper immune response requires such a delicate balance," said Dr. Siminovitch, senior investigator at the LTRI and Canada Research Chair in the Mechanisms Regulating Immunologic Disease. "You have to get it just right. By developing a mouse strain in which T cells, key players in immunity, lack WAVE2, we have shown that this protein is absolutely required for balanced immune responses."

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"'Understanding how to achieve this kind of control in immunity is really important," said Dr. Siminovitch. "This research opens the door to new ways of restoring that balance through the development of new therapeutics that target the WAVE2- mTOR pathway.'"

Comment: as with all biological systems in life, tight controls are necessary and present