Scientists Found New Model of Immunity
A team of researchers at San Diego State University has discovered a powerful immune system that could dramatically change the way doctors treat a variety of diseases and shield the human body from some of the worst types of infections.
The research team was talking about the protective layers of mucus which are present in both animals and humans. Although it’s slimy and gross, mucus is the breeding ground of bacteriophage – a group of bacteria-infecting viruses that help fight infection and shield the body from varying diseases. These layers also serve as a breeding ground of other beneficial microbes, such as fungi, bacteria and viruses that counter harmful organisms from invading the body.
For the current study, the researchers extracted mucus samples from animals and humans, ranging from sea anemone to mouse and a person. They found that bacteriophage adheres to the mucus layer on all of them. The group, led by Jeremy Barr, a biology post-doctoral fellow, placed bacteriophage on top of a layer of the mucus-producing tissue and found that the bacteriophage formed bond with the sugars in the mucus, causing the bacteria to adhere to the surface.
To see what the bacteriophage can do, the researchers challenged the mucus cells with E. coli bacteria. Upon meeting the harmful organism, the bacteriophage attacked and killed the E. coli bacteria, effectively forming an anti-bacterial barrier that protected the host from infection.
The researchers conducted the same experiment, but this time on non-mucus producing cells. They found that when these cells contracted with E. coli bacteria, the mucus had three times more cell death.
According to Barr, their study proposes a new model of immunity which emphasises the role of bacteriophage in protecting the body from invading pathogens. He also said that part of what makes their research so novel is that the bacteriophage are already present in humans and animals. These beneficial microbes came from the environment and naturally stick to the mucus layers of different body parts, such as the gut and mouth. "This discovery not only proposes a new immune system but also demonstrates the first symbiotic relationship between phage and animals," said Barr. The team envisions the new model of immunity, called Bacteriophage Adherence to Mucus (BAM), playing a significant role in preventing and treating mucosal infections in the gut and lungs, being used in phage therapy, and even directly interacting with the immune system.
Their findings were published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Source of this article:
Bacteriophage adhering to mucus provide a non–host-derived immunity
©Copyright 2013 by http://www.naturaltherapyforall.com Counselling Edinburgh All Rights Reserved.