Chemokines are signaling proteins that coordinate the communication between immune cells to fight against pathogens and tumors. Various techniques have been created to identify cells that produce chemokines in order to understand this intricate network. However, it has been challenging to determine which cells respond to these chemokines. Now, researchers have created a new group of genetically modified mice that can identify both the cells that produce chemokines and the cells that react to them simultaneously.Network, different methods have been created to recognize cells that produce chemokines. But until now, it has been difficult to figure out which cells respond to these chemokines. Scientists at the University Hospital Bonn (UKB) and the University of Bonn have designed a new group of genetically modified mice that can identify both chemokine producers and sensors simultaneously. Using the chemokine Ccl3 as a “proof of principle,” they found that its role in the immune defense against viruses is not what was previously thought. Their findings have been published in the Journal of Experimental Medicine.
Our body’s response to infections is heavily influenced by chemokines. To better understand how these signaling proteins control immune cells, a team of researchers from Bonn studied the chemokine Ccl3. They used a new technology called Ccl3-EASER mice to examine its role in coordinating the immune response to cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection, which can cause serious illnesses in people with weakened immune systems. “Previously, it was believed that specific macrophages, cells that are present in all organs as part of the immune system, produce Ccl3 to attract antiviral immune cells,” explained co-senior author Prof. Dr. [insert name].
Christian Kurts, the Director of the Institute of Molecular Medicine and Experimental Immunology (IMMEI) at the UKB, is also a member of the Transdisciplinary Research Area 3 (TRA 3) “Life & Health” and the Cluster of Excellence Immunosensation^2 at the University of Bonn.
NK cells play a dual role as producers and detectors of chemokines
“However, we discovered that during CMV infection, the natural killer cells, also known as NK cells, are the primary producers of Ccl3,” explains co-senior author Prof. Dr. Natalio Garbi, a research group leader from IMMEI at the UKB and a member of the Cluster of Excellence IThe University of Bonn’s mmunosensation2 program conducted research on NK cells, which are white blood cells that have the ability to destroy virus-infected body cells. The study discovered that NK cells are in a constant state of alertness, prepared to rapidly produce Ccl3. When a viral infection occurs, the body releases type I interferon as a signal of alarm. This triggers the NK cells to swiftly produce the chemokine Ccl3. However, the NK cells not only produce Ccl3, but also act as the main sensors for the chemokine in this context, according to co-senior author Prof. Dr. Niels A. Lemmermann, research group leader from the Institute of Virology.at the University Hospital Bonn (UKB) and a member of the Immunosensation2 Cluster of Excellence. This means that Ccl3 functions as a signal for NK cells to communicate and coordinate their antiviral response with each other.”The experimental approach used in this study is entirely novel. It can also be applied to other messenger substances besides Ccl3, which are released during various infections, different types of inflammation, or cancer,” explains Dr. Maria Belen Rodrigo, the lead author and a researcher at the Institute of Molecular and Clinical Immunology at UKB. With this research, the scientists in Bonn have made significant progress in understanding.The intricate coordination of immune cells in the fight against viruses.
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