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Burst of Accumulated Zinc shows how the Mineral Boosts Immune Function, suggesting ways to Improve Health

Dudakov Lab postdoctoral fellow Dr. Lorenzo Iovino discovered two ways that zinc helps boost the immune system.Photo by Robert Hood / Fred Hutch News Service

In mice, zinc helps thymus of the immune system regrow and immune-cell recovery after bone marrow transplant. Zinc’s immune-boosting properties are well-established, but scientists haven’t known exactly how it works. In a new study published online March 25 in the journal Blood, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center scientists reveal two ways the mineral supports immunity and suggest how it could be used to improve health.

Using mice, the team discovered that zinc is needed for the development of disease-fighting immune T cells and prompts regeneration of the thymus, the immune organ that produces T cells.

“This study adds ...

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