A new study by researchers from the Max Planck Institute has revealed that for immunology Genetics in Germany has uncovered amazing interactions between immune cells, where one locks the other inside until it dies, then uses the remains of dead cells to boost its strength. The research group used specialized devices to photograph what was happening.
The full story
The body is exposed to a large number of foreign substances, so it defends itself through a process known as inflammation. Inflammation is characterized by heat, pain, redness, and swelling.
You do Immune cells The body is defended by groups of cells that differ in their shapes and mechanism of action. The types of immune cells involved in the immune response differ depending on the harmful stimulus, which affects the outcome of the inflammatory response.
Immune cells engulfing each other
Neutrophils are essential immune cells in our innate immune response, playing critical roles in eliminating bacteria and fungi in our bodies.
Large numbers of these cells circulate in the bloodstream, and small groups of them monitor tissues far from the bloodstream. These cells move quickly to the sites where infections occur, and begin their war against microbes through various mechanisms, including ingesting foreign materials, releasing antimicrobial substances, or setting traps for their enemies.
Neutrophils respond to danger signals released by proteins found in injured tissues.
In addition, neutrophils communicate with each other to coordinate their assembly, helping them focus their combined efforts.
Neutrophils set traps to catch their enemies, and what’s interesting is that the way neutrophils set traps has been exploited by another type of immune cell to catch neutrophils themselves, and the cells involved are mast cells.
Mast cells fill their stomachs with granules containing inflammatory substances. These granules are released when the body encounters a potential threat, including exposure to allergens. Mast cells live in tissues and play a critical role in initiating inflammation.
In many people, mast cells react to seemingly harmless environmental factors, causing an immune response that may be unnecessary. The interaction between mast cells and other immune cells at the sites of response has not been explored.
How do mast cells interact with other immune cells?
While imaging the movement of activated mast cells and other cell types during allergic reactions in tissues of living mice at the time of the actual immune response, the research team led by Tim Lammermann, director of the Institute of Medical Biochemistry at the University of Münster, discovered a surprising finding: neutrophils were found within the mast cells.
Lammerman says – according to the website: yorick alert“We couldn’t believe our eyes, live neutrophils were sitting inside live mast cells, a phenomenon that was completely unexpected and probably would not have been detected in in vivo experiments and highlights the power of microscopy in vivo.”
The trick of justice was used against her.
Michael Mehlan, the first author of the study published in the journal, said, cell On August 2, “It quickly became clear that the dual immune cells were not just a coincidence. We wanted to understand how and why mast cells locked up their fellow cells.”
Once the team was able to mimic the neutrophil sequestration observed in living tissues in the laboratory, they were able to identify the molecular pathways involved in this process.
The researchers found that mast cells release a substance called leukotriene B4, which is used by neutrophils to start gathering cells around them to defend the body. By secreting this substance, mast cells attracted neutrophils, and once the neutrophils were close enough, the mast cells engulfed them and hid them in their viscera.
“It’s ironic that the neutrophils that make mesh traps to trap microbes during inflammation are now being trapped by mast cells,” says Tim Lammerman.
Neutrophil recycling
Researchers have uncovered the fate of cells trapped in mast cell clones and found that trapped neutrophils eventually die, and their remains are stored inside mast cells.
“Here the story takes an unexpected turn,” says Michael Mehlan. “Mast cells can recycle materials from neutrophils to enhance their function. Additionally, mast cells can release the new neutrophil components late, causing additional immune responses and helping to maintain inflammation and immune defense.”
“This new understanding of how mast cells and neutrophils work together adds entirely new information to our knowledge of allergic reactions and inflammation,” says Tim Lammerman. “It shows that mast cells can use neutrophils to enhance their own capabilities, an aspect that could have implications for chronic allergic conditions where inflammation occurs repeatedly.”
Traps for other cells
The researchers wondered whether eosinophils—another type of immune cell that undergoes L4-mediated swarming responses—might also be locked down by mast cells.
Indeed, mast cells also sequestered eosinophils, albeit less efficiently than neutrophils, yet other cell types were not sequestered as efficiently, so L4-mediated sequestration appears to be a general mechanism.
Next step
Researchers have already begun studying this interaction in mast cell-mediated inflammatory diseases in humans, to see if this discovery could lead to discoveries that could be reflected in the treatment of allergies and inflammatory diseases.