A research team set out to understand the diversity and cellular mechanisms of human Th2 cells. They used gene expression analyses of inflamed tissues to identify a subset of Th2 cells known as Th2-MPP cells. The team’s findings suggested that these cells may be precursors to several important Th2 cell populations that are responsible for disease symptoms. These discoveries provide a foundation for developing therapeutic interventions targeting these cells, which could potentially provide relief to patients with allergic diseases.
Currently, most therapies for allergic diseases require lifelong treatment. Allergi rnrnChronic diseases such as asthma, atopic dermatitis, and ulcerative colitis are often the result of ongoing inflammation caused by prolonged exposure to certain triggers. T helper 2 (Th2) cells, which are part of the body’s immune response, play a key role in allergic reactions. However, researchers have been puzzled by the fact that Th2 cells remain active during allergic reactions even when the trigger is constantly present. This research involved authors from Mass General Brigham, including members of Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Massachusetts Gen.The team at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Massachusetts General Hospital, and Mass Eye and Ear set out to explore the diversity and cellular mechanisms of human Th2 cells. Through gene expression analyses of inflamed tissues, they identified a subset of Th2 cells known as Th2-MPP cells. Their findings suggest that these cells could be precursors to several important Th2 cell populations that are responsible for disease symptoms. This discovery paves the way for potential therapeutic interventions targeting these cells, which could provide relief to patients with allergic diseases. The results of their research have been published in Nature Immunology. The team used a single cellThe researchers created a transcriptomic atlas, a thorough collection of genes that are activated and deactivated in individual cells within the body. They utilized inflamed tissues from patients with nine different chronic allergic diseases to develop this atlas. Using the atlas, they were able to pinpoint Th2-multipotent progenitor (Th2-MPP) cells, which consistently expressed two transcription factors, TCF7 and LEF1. These transcription factors allowed the Th2-MPP cells to display traits similar to those of stem cells in cancer and chronic infection, functioning as precursor cells capable of producing other cell types. Additionally, the team conducted in-depth examinations of Th2 cells from nasal tissue in patients with chronic allergic diseases.In a recent study, researchers examined the role of Th2-MPP cells in chronic rhinosinusitis and found that these cells could give rise to various types of Th2 cells that are responsible for causing symptoms of the disease. Senior author Patrick Brennan, MD, PhD, from the Brigham Division of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, expressed optimism about the potential for studying progenitor cells in chronic inflammation to lead to new therapeutic approaches for treating the condition. The study suggests that Th2-MPP cells have the ability to maintain type 2 inflammation even in the presence of ongoing exposure to antigens.The study sets the groundwork for further research to gain a better understanding of their role in causing disease,” explained Radomir Kratchmarov, MD, the lead author and a research fellow in the Brigham Division of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.
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