University of Birmingham (Ala.) researchers discovered a new class of gene regulatory elements that hold an "immunological memory." The EMBO J published the research, which Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council and Bloodwise supported.
Here are five insights:
1. Peter Cockerill, PhD, led the research. Researchers found a single cycle of activation of T cells in the immune system which leaves imprints in the chromosomes within the immune cells.
2. The imprinting happens at the genes that must be switched back on once the immune cells undergo reactivation.
3. The researchers suggest this process creates a memory that allows an immediate response when the body faces an infection and T cells activate in the future.
4. In that vein, immune cells return to a resting state once the threat disappears. However, an initial infection alters the cells and thus the cells lie in a partially active state.
5. The researchers also found a mechanism that lets cells remain poised without producing molecules that cause inflammation when fighting an infection. This protects the cells from damage when they aren't fighting an infection.
"The initial immune response switches on certain regions within chromosomes of previously inactive T cells to leave them in a more open structure so that they can sit poised, ready to respond much faster when activated again in the future," said Dr. Cockerill.
