"Cell" is only now discovering why magnesium is essential for the immune system?

Magnesium levels in the blood are an important factor in the immune system's ability to fight off pathogens and cancer cells

Magnesium deficiency has been linked to a variety of diseases, such as infections and cancer

Now, researchers led by Professor Christoph Hess from the Departments of Biomedical Sciences at the University of Basel, the University Hospital of Basel and the Department of Medicine at the University of Cambridge have found that T cells are only able to effectively eliminate abnormal or infected cells in a magnesium-rich environment

As a docking site, LFA-1 plays a key role in the activation of T cells

Potentially important discovery for cancer patients

The fact that magnesium is essential for T cell function may be a very important discovery in modern cancer immunotherapy

"In order to validate this observation clinically, we are now looking for ways to specifically increase the concentration of magnesium in tumors," said Christoph Hess

Based on the available data, the question of whether regular intake of magnesium affects the risk of cancer cannot be answered

Magazine

Cell

DOI

10.

Article Title

Magnesium sensing via LFA-1 regulates CD8+ T cell effector function