Immune System Found To Be More Mobile And Flexible Than Previously Thought

1 month ago

Researchers astatine Karolinska Institutet successful Sweden person discovered that immoderate earthy slayer cells, NK cells, temporarily reside successful our organs and past time off them via nan lymphatic system. The study, published successful Nature Immunology, shows that our immune strategy is much move than antecedently thought. The results whitethorn lend to amended treatments that nonstop nan immune strategy wherever it is needed.

We person discovered a antecedently chartless mobility successful nan immune system, wherever immoderate cells are only temporarily tissue-bound earlier moving connected successful nan body."

Niklas Björkström, expert and professor, Department of Medicine, Huddinge, Karolinska Institutet

The caller study shows that a type of NK compartment called CD56bright does not enactment permanently successful our organs arsenic antecedently thought. Instead, these cells move dynamically: they migrate into tissues, execute their tasks there, and past time off nan assemblage via nan lymphatic strategy to return to nan blood. The researchers person been capable to travel this successful humans, laboratory animals and successful patients who person undergone liver transplantation.

Direct nan immune system

The results alteration our knowing of really nan immune strategy useful successful quality organs. Previously, it was believed that immoderate immune cells enactment permanently successful tissues, but nan researchers show that astatine slightest immoderate of these cells are only location temporarily and are perpetually being replaced.

"This intends that nan immune strategy is much elastic and mobile than antecedently thought, which affects really we understand nan body's defence against infections, crab and during transplantation," says Niklas Björkström. "The knowledge whitethorn yet lend to amended treatments that nonstop nan immune strategy to wherever it is needed."

The researchers mixed respective unsocial models and materials. They analysed insubstantial samples from humans, including blood, lymph fluid and biopsies from liver transplant patients. By exploiting nan typical business during transplantation, they were capable to travel really nan donor's immune cells were gradually replaced by nan recipient's, and really these adapted to nan tissue.

Future treatments

They besides utilized animal models to study really nan cells move successful nan body. Using modern techniques specified arsenic travel cytometry and single-cell sequencing, they were past capable to representation nan cells' properties and travel their way done nan blood, insubstantial and lymphatic system.

"The adjacent measurement is to understand why these NK cells only enactment temporarily successful tissues and what controls their activity successful and retired of nan organs," says Niklas Björkström. "We besides want to analyse what domiciled they play successful diseases specified arsenic infections, crab and during transplantation. In nan agelong term, we dream to beryllium capable to usage nan caller knowledge to create treatments that either fortify nan immune system's protective functions aliases suppress unwanted reactions, for illustration successful rejection aft transplantation."

The study is funded by nan EU done nan ERC, nan Swedish Research Council, EMBO, SSF, SSMF, nan Swedish Heart Lung Foundation, nan Swedish Cancer Society, nan Novo Nordisk Foundation, CIMED and NIH. No conflicts of liking person been reported. The investigation was conducted successful collaboration pinch Michael Betts astatine nan University of Pennsylvania.

Source:

Journal reference:

Niehrs, A., et al. (2025). Transient insubstantial residency and lymphatic egress specify quality CD56bright NK compartment homeostasis. Nature Immunology. doi.org/10.1038/s41590-025-02290-9