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T CELL TWEAK ENHANCES IMMUNE SYSTEM MEMORY
Manipulating one molecular signaling pathway in the T cells that participate in clearing influenza virus in the lungs can improve strength and longevity of immunological memory produced, researchers report.
When humans or animals get infected, the body’s immune system tries to not only clear the infection but also build up a memory of the pathogen that caused it. So, when the pathogen comes around again for possible reinfection, the body has an army of memory T cells that can recognize and destroy it. These T cells are a critical part of immunological memory, and an important component of efficient vaccines.
Now, researchers are one step closer to making the T cell army stronger.
The new finding can potentially support the future development of more effective vaccines and therapeutics to combat influenza and other respiratory infections with the ultimate goal of increasing the body’s immunological memory, which can both prevent and lessen the severity of infections and reinfections.
Emma Teixeiro and Mark A. Daniels, associate professors in the University of Missouri School of Medicine, led the NIH-funded study, which involved unique mouse models of influenza infection.
“Immunologists like myself have always wondered why T cells in the lungs after influenza infection disappear so quickly,” Teixeiro says. “This research can help us solve that problem by increasing the amount of T cells that can fight against infection. In this study, we have identified novel ways to improve the generation and long-term maintenance of protective immunity against influenza, and that is by manipulating a molecular target known as the IKK2/NFkB signaling pathway.”
Teixeiro adds that T cells can recognize parts of viruses that do not mutate, so if researchers can better understand how to strengthen the T cells and extend the timeframe when they can do their job appropriately, the body’s immune system will ultimately be better suited to fight against infection and lessen the severity.
While the influenza virus was the focus of this particular study, gaining knowledge of the underlying molecular mechanisms and signaling pathways that regulate memory in tissues can be helpful to improve therapeutics for patients with cancer, autoimmunity, or other respiratory infections.
“By unveiling the biochemical and molecular secrets of these T cells, we can provide valuable information to other scientists who work on optimizing vaccine strategies,” Teixeiro says. “The good news is there are already clinical treatments that do target this particular pathway we identified, so this study is a big step in the right direction, but we still have a long way to go.”
注释：
pathogen: n
表示" 病原体"，如：The opposite end latches onto the pathogen. 相对的一端锁在病原体上。
Immunological：adj
表示" 免疫学的"，means "of or relating to immunology"，如：Is there data on the durability of immunological benefits? 有没有免疫稳定上的好处?
therapeutics: n
表示"治疗学；疗法"，如：For practicality, oxygen therapeutics also excel. 从实用的角度来看，氧气疗法也更具优势。
severity: n
表示" 严格；严重；严肃"，如：Don't speak to the child with severity. 不要用严厉的口气对孩子说话。
mutate: n
表示" 变异；突变"，如：While it's only a single strand right now, it can mutate into other strands.
而这仅是一个单链，现在，它可以变异成其他方面。
autoimmunity: n
表示"自身免疫"，如：So Autoimmunity may play a role in the pathogenesis of chronic urticaria. 因此慢性荨麻疹的发病有自身免疫机制参与。
respiratory: adj
表示" 呼吸的；与呼吸有关的"，means "pertaining to respiration"，如：The lungs are respiratory organs. 肺是呼吸器官。
中文简要说明：
记得前几年，新冠疫情期间，我们有些人会染疫，有些人需要打疫苗；然而不管是染疫康复，还是疫苗产生的免疫效果都不持久，因此需要疫苗追加剂，而有些人会也会反复感疫。为何我们的免疫系统如此健忘?现在科学家终于找到原因，可能某个特定的分子通道无法长期保持，或许将来只要把这个通道持续开启，免疫效果也可以持久一些。
未来主义(futurity)报导，我们身体有一系繁复的免疫系统，在我们染病，或是接种疫苗之后，致病的抗原会触发免疫系统，然后包括B细胞的抗体，以及杀手T细胞、巨细胞会去清除这些病原，在战胜之后，其中一种名叫「记忆T细胞」的角色，会纪录下这一段重要的经验，如同数据库一样，要是再遇到同样的病原，这些记忆T细胞会告知其他的免疫细胞如何抗敌，这正是高效疫苗的重要组成部分。
但是，像是流感，或是新冠肺炎这样因病毒而引发的疾病，记忆T细胞的记忆效果却相当有限，因此流感疫苗要年年追加，而新冠疫苗要打到3~4剂，这都是大家的平时经验。
现在，密苏里大学医学院的泰克斯罗副教授(Emma Teixeiro) 和丹尼斯教授( Mark A. Daniels) 领导的研究团队，从小鼠实验中，终于找到免疫力失效的原因。
泰克斯罗说：「我们免疫学家一直想知道，为什么流感之后，肺部的T细胞消失得这么快？现在我们终于找到了改善免疫效力、长期维持的新方法，那就是操纵称为 IKK2/NFkB 的分子信号通路。」
泰克斯罗进一步解释， 记忆T细胞可以识别病毒中没有变异的部分，因此，如果研究人员能够更好地了解，如何增强记忆T细胞，并延长它们正常工作的时间，那么免疫系统可以更快的对抗抗病毒，并减轻感染严重程度。
「了解 T 细胞的生化和分子秘密，我们可以强化疫苗的效果，而且这个分子信号也有助于癌症治疗、自体免疫疾病，或是其他呼吸道感染患者的治疗。虽然还有很长的路要走，但我们肯定迈出正确的一步。」
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