Immunity: new research reveals human defense mechanism and cancer transmission mechanism

August 15, 2019 / BIOON / - with the help of new technologies, researchers at the University of Turku in Finland have obtained more detailed information on the diversity of the human lymphatic system than before The results are helpful to better understand the defense mechanism of human beings at the molecular level Because some cancers, such as breast cancer and head and neck cancer, are spread mainly through the lymphatic system The transfer of leukocytes between lymphatic vessels, lymphoid organs and blood circulation is the main way of human defense mechanism Image source: immunity "the lymphatic system transfers pathogens from inflamed sites (such as skin wounds) to sentinel lymph nodes, where lymphocytes are activated and trained to kill invaders When ready for action, the lymphocytes leave the lymph nodes and enter the wound purposefully through blood circulation to eliminate pathogens "Sirpa jalkanen, Professor of immunology and academician of science at the University of Turku, explained However, lymphocyte activation takes time, which is why active neutrophils are needed at the front line of defense to eliminate pathogens and prevent inflammation from spreading without training "For decades, the lymphatic vascular system has been thought of as just some conduit: the conduit through which cells and body fluids return to the blood from the outer parts of the body "Said jalkanen Under the leadership of jalkanen, the research team analyzed the lymphatic system of human lymph nodes by single cell sequencing, and found six groups of different lymphatic vessels, which are located in the strategic position of lymph nodes and express their typical molecules Single cell sequencing is a revolutionary technology to study cell diversity The researchers paid particular attention to the transport and adhesion molecules used by neutrophils, which were previously completely unknown They have shown that neutrophils are gatekeepers located at the vascular openings outside the lymph nodes It is necessary for inflammation to occur in order to prevent pathogens from spreading to other parts of the body "Our research results open a new perspective for understanding the defense mechanism at the molecular level For drug development, our results also provide potential new target molecules to regulate immune defense and prevent cancer from spreading, because some cancers, such as breast cancer, head and neck cancer, mainly spread through the lymphatic system "Postdoctoral researcher Akira Takeda said he was the first author of the study Reference: Akira Takeda et al Single cell survey of human lymphatics unveils market exclusive cell heterogeneity and mechanisms of hosting for nuclear s, immunity (2019) Doi: 10.1016/j.immunity.2019.06.027