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Existence of neutrophils in human spleen discovered
For the first time, scientists have found that neutrophils, a type of blood cells that help cells kill pathogens, exist in the spleen without there being an infection, a discovery they say throws new light into the immune system mechanism that protects us against an infection.
Researchers at the Hospital del Mar Research Institute (IMIM) in Barcelona and Mount Sinai in New York noticed that the existence of neutrophils in the spleen started when the foetus is developing, even when no infection is involved. This was not known in scientific literature.
Neutrophils are the so-called cleaning cells that are the first be present at an infection site after migrating there to destroy invading pathogens.
Until now, neutrophils are considered as lowly qualified soldiers that simply limited the expansion of an infection, as a first action to pave the way for other cells of the immune system in charge of eradicating the infection permanently.
"This study has revealed that neutrophils are found in the spleen without there being an infection, contributing totally new knowledge in the field of biology," said Andrea Cerutti, who led the study at IMIM.
The study, published online in 'Nature Immunology', was expanded to people of different ages and other mammals. Detecting the presence of neutrophils in the spleen suggested that these played a different role in the spleen to the one usually given to them.
The neutrophils in the spleen are located around B lymphocytes to help their activation and offer a first rapid response when there are pathogens.
"Through several different experimental approaches we have proven that neutrophils in the spleen acquire the ability to interact with B cells or B lymphocytes, inducing the production of antibodies, a role that lymphocytes circulating in blood are not able to do," said Irene Puga, a researcher at the IMIM and co-author of the study.
This finding improved the understanding of the mechanisms with which our immune system protects us against an infection, an essential requirement to better control all pathologies linked to it, the researchers said.
Also, when faced with certain diseases, liks neutropenia (or a numeric deficiency of neutrophils), it will become necessary to study not only the deficiency of neturophils, but also how this affects the production of antibodies, they said.
For the first time, scientists have found that neutrophils, a type of blood cells that help cells kill pathogens, exist in the spleen without there being an infection, a discovery they say throws new light into the immune system mechanism that protects us against an infection.
Researchers at the Hospital del Mar Research Institute (IMIM) in Barcelona and Mount Sinai in New York noticed that the existence of neutrophils in the spleen started when the foetus is developing, even when no infection is involved. This was not known in scientific literature.
Neutrophils are the so-called cleaning cells that are the first be present at an infection site after migrating there to destroy invading pathogens.
Until now, neutrophils are considered as lowly qualified soldiers that simply limited the expansion of an infection, as a first action to pave the way for other cells of the immune system in charge of eradicating the infection permanently.
"This study has revealed that neutrophils are found in the spleen without there being an infection, contributing totally new knowledge in the field of biology," said Andrea Cerutti, who led the study at IMIM.
The study, published online in 'Nature Immunology', was expanded to people of different ages and other mammals. Detecting the presence of neutrophils in the spleen suggested that these played a different role in the spleen to the one usually given to them.
The neutrophils in the spleen are located around B lymphocytes to help their activation and offer a first rapid response when there are pathogens.
"Through several different experimental approaches we have proven that neutrophils in the spleen acquire the ability to interact with B cells or B lymphocytes, inducing the production of antibodies, a role that lymphocytes circulating in blood are not able to do," said Irene Puga, a researcher at the IMIM and co-author of the study.
This finding improved the understanding of the mechanisms with which our immune system protects us against an infection, an essential requirement to better control all pathologies linked to it, the researchers said.
Also, when faced with certain diseases, liks neutropenia (or a numeric deficiency of neutrophils), it will become necessary to study not only the deficiency of neturophils, but also how this affects the production of antibodies, they said.
