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https://www.theguardian.com/science/2023/sep/25/australian-discovery-of-change-in-killer-t-cells-could-help-fight-against-influenza>
"A world-first discovery from Australian researchers unlocks the potential for
the development of better vaccines and therapies against influenza viruses
tailored to different age groups.
The paper, published in
Nature Immunology on Tuesday, has revealed special
immune cells called “killer T cells” in older adults closely resemble those
found in newborns and children.
Killer T cells play a critical role in the immune system by eliminating
virus-infected cells and establishing long-term immunological memory. The
research, led by the Doherty Institute and UNSW Sydney, examined these cells in
four different age groups: newborns, school-aged children, adults and older
adults aged over 60 years of age.
The lead author, Dr Carolien van de Sandt, a senior research fellow at the
Doherty Institute, said it was previously believed that people maintain the
same killer T cells throughout their whole life but that these cells became
less effective as they became exhausted or “fell asleep” as people become
older.
However, what the researchers found was that the effective cells found in
children and adults actually disappear in the elderly, to be replaced by new
cells, which are less able to recognise virus-infected cells.
And these new cells displayed gene profiles closely similar to T cells found in
newborns, which still need to learn how to recognise influenza viruses, van de
Sandt said.
“They have the capacity to respond very well,” she said. “They look very
similar on the inside like they’re young cells, but the outside is different
and doesn’t recognise [virus-infected cells] anymore. It’s almost like they
need reading glasses.”
Van de Sandt compares the new, less effective cells to having sword swapped
with a kitchen knife: “You can learn how to use it, but it will never be as
effective.”
Prof Katherine Kedzierska of the University of Melbourne, who is head of the
human T cell laboratory at the Doherty Institute and a senior author on the
paper, said the research will help understand how immunity changes over an
individual’s lifespan, which has the potential to significantly advance the
science of vaccination."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
