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Alpacas May Be the Answer to Chronic Inflammation
Alpacas are cute, friendly, and provide luxurious wool. And now we find that they might have medicinal value! Immunologists have long known that alpacas have a unique immune system, which involves single-domain antibodies called nanobodies. This type of antibody is engineered to attack a single type of infection, but they are much smaller than human antibodies, which make them more useful to medical science. Here's how that works: an alpaca can be infected with a specific microbe, and they will produce nanobodies to fight it. These nanobodies can be harvested and identified, then injected into bacteria which can reproduce them at a high volume, a process that is difficult if not impossible with our much larger antibodies. The bacteria factories are able to produce usable numbers of nanobodies. Researchers have already used this technique to produce nanobodies for cancer research and to fight COVID. Now they are looking into using nanobodies to fight chronic inflammation, which is what happens when our own immune systems continue to fight even after an infection is defeated. This research might open up new treatments for more common conditions, such as arthritis. Read about the research into alpaca nanobodies at New Atlas. -via Damn Interesting#nanobody #antibody #alpaca #immunesystem
Urushiol: The World's Most Common Allergy
When I occasionally battle an infestation of poison ivy, I wonder about its place in the ecosystem. One might assume that it developed its "poison," called urushiol, to protect itself from being eaten or otherwise disturbed. It turns out that most animals are not at all allergic to poison ivy, and will happily eat it! Humans, on the other hand, can experience long-lasting misery from just touching the plant. Why do our bodies react so violently to something that's not even harmful?
Like A Spider, Our Immune Cells Immobilize Bacteria Before Engulfing Them
The spider is probably one of the smartest predators in the animal kingdom. Unlike other predators that chase their prey, the spider doesn’t give chase. Instead, it immobilizes the prey using its web. Once the prey is trapped and immobilized, the spider will then make its move and eat it.But this strategy is not unique to spiders. Our immune cells do it against bacteria, as well. A new study recently published in Science Advances describes this antibacterial mechanism."Neutrophils produce the spider webs that immobilize the bacteria, and macrophages are the spiders that engulf and kill the bacteria," said Eric Skaar, Ph.D., MPH, Ernest W. Goodpasture Professor of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology and director of the Vanderbilt Institute for Infection, Immunology and Inflammation.In the case of immune cells, this is how the strategy works: first, the neutrophils (the cells that respond first to infection) migrate to the site of infection. There, it self-destructs and releases its DNA and proteins, which generate neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs). The macrophages will then arrive to deliver the killing blow to the bacteria.Amazing.(Image Credit: NIAID)#ImmuneSystem #ImmuneCells #Neutrophils #Macrophage #Pathology
How The Immune System ACTUALLY Works
The human immune system is a complex and miraculous system that we rely on to stay alive while the world around us wants to infect us. Who better than Kurzgesagt to explain it to us in a way we can understand. If you want more, there's a book called Immune coming out next month by Philipp Dettmer, the founder of Kurzgesagt. -via reddit#immunity #immunesystem #humanbody #PhilippDettmer #Kurzgesagt
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