The London Research Institute hosts a number of conferences throughout the year and has extensive seminar schedules as part of its education programme.
Highlighted Paper: The Intraepithelial T Cell Response to NKG2D-Ligands Links Lymphoid Stress Surveillance to Atopy.
Submitted by rainbo01 on Tue, 20/12/2011 - 11:42
The Immuno Surveillance Lab headed by Adrian Hayday published the following article in Science recently.
Strid, J, Sobolev, O, Zafirova,B, Polic, B, Hayday AC. The Intraepithelial T Cell Response to NKG2D-Ligands Links Lymphoid Stress Surveillance to Atopy. Science. 2011 334: 1293-1297. Abstract.
 | In 2008, the authors showed that skin-associated T lymphocytes respond in vivo to epithelial cells displaying molecular markers of dysregulation (“stress-antigens”), even in the absence of infection. Such “lymphoid stress-surveillance” could eradicate cells dysregulated by carcinogens, thereby reducing susceptibility to certain cancers. However, the full nature of the stress-antigen response remained obscure. Now, the authors show that this response promotes rapid production of IgE, an antibody generally viewed as a key component of allergy. Among many implications, the study may explain the negative association of IgE levels with cancer in human study cohorts, and may provide routine means to monitor an individual’s immune competence toward developing tumours. |
Given the uncertainty over the beneficial effects of IgE, the authors hypothesise that this component of lymphoid stress-surveillance may permit rapid identification and expulsion of toxins encountered at body surfaces, a task to which IgE may be uniquely suited. The work might also partly explain strong genetic associations of skin dysregulation with atopic dermatitis.
