T cells tagged posts

The thymus hosts more ‘cellular teachers’ than we thought, study finds

The thymus has more 'cellular teachers' than we thought
scRNA-seq reveals heterogeneity in thymic DCs. (A) scRNA-seq of CD11c+ and CD11b+ FACS-sorted cells from the thymus of 7-wk-old C57BL/6 mice. UMAP plots show the analysis of 11,586 transcriptome events, with dashed lines representing clusters expressing Flt3, Csf1r, and Csf3r. (B) Feature plots showing the normalized expression of Flt3, Csf1r, and Csf3r in the clusters defined in A. (C) UMAP plots show the analysis of 8,514 transcriptome events and identify 16 clusters of thymic myeloid cells. Violin plots show the normalized expression of signature genes in these clusters. (D) Representative flow cytometry gating strategy for pre-gating thymic myeloid cells...
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Bisphenol A causes sex-specific changes in metabolism and the immune system, study reveals

Close-up of a can of crushed tomatoes being opened.

Even small amounts of bisphenol A can lead to long-term health effects. When researchers studied adult rats exposed in the fetal stage, they found that females had developed a more masculine and males a more feminine gene expression pattern. This led to females progressing towards a cancer-like state, while males progressed towards metabolic syndrome, which can increase the risk of diabetes and heart disease.

Bisphenol A is a synthetic chemical with estrogen-like properties that is commonly used in food packaging materials. The substance is banned in many products, but is still present in some packaging. Levels of bisphenol A in people’s bodies are often above levels considered safe, with previous research showing that the substance can cause adverse health effects.

Females masc...

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How cancer hijacks the immune system by draining T cells’ energy

elderly
Credit: CC0 Public Domain

Research into immunotherapy against cancer typically focuses on better recognition of cancer cells by the body’s own immune system. Researchers at Amsterdam UMC and Moffitt Cancer Center have taken a different approach.

They investigated how cancer affects the energy management of a patient’s T cells and showed for the first time that contact with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) cells leads to a serious energy crisis in these cells.

These findings are published in Cellular & Molecular Immunology, building on a publication in the Blood Journal.

CLL is the most common type of leukemia in the Western world and mainly affects the elderly. Despite new therapies, the disease remains incurable, and treatments are becoming increasingly expensive.

Some c...

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Your Immune Cells are what they Eat

Two T cells whose nutritional choices have changed their identity. On the left, a blue T cell prefers acetate and is active, able to continue fighting. On the right, a red T cell prefers citrate and is exhausted, no longer able to fight effectively.
Click here for a high-resolution image.
Credit: Salk Institute

Salk scientists establish novel Link between cell nutrition and identity, say targeting nutrient-dependent activity could improve immunotherapies.

The decision between scrambled eggs or an apple for breakfast probably won’t make or break your day. However, for your cells, a decision between similar microscopic nutrients could determine their entire identity...

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