Saturday, June 3, 2023
News on Pathogens and Preparedness
Global Biodefense
  • Featured
  • COVID-19
  • Funding
  • Directory
  • Jobs
  • Events
  • Subscribe
No Result
View All Result
  • Featured
  • COVID-19
  • Funding
  • Directory
  • Jobs
  • Events
  • Subscribe
No Result
View All Result
Global Biodefense
No Result
View All Result
Home Biosecurity

Lingering Immune Cells Protect Against Leishmania

by Global Biodefense Staff
July 29, 2015
Leishmania and CD4+ T Cell Research

Memory CD4+ T cells (green) in the skin reduce the number of parasites after secondary Leishmania infection by recruiting parasite-fighting memory CD4+ T cells (red) circulating in the blood. Credit: The Rockefeller University Press

Immune cells that hang around after parasitic skin infection help ward off secondary attack, according to a new research published in The Journal of Experimental Medicine. The findings may prove to be the key to successful anti-parasite vaccines.

Leishmania are a group of parasites that are transmitted by sandflies and cause a variety of diseases, including an ulcerative skin disease. Successful clearance of Leishmania infection results in long-lasting immunity to reinfection.

This protection relies in part on circulating immune cell called memory CD4+ T cells, which recall the initial infection and respond with increased rapidity and vigor. But the protection provided by transferring these memory cells into uninfected mice pales in comparison to that conferred by prior infection, suggesting the involvement of other cells or pathways.

Phillip Scott and his colleagues at the University of Pennsylvania now show that circulating memory CD4+ T cells rely on a little help from skin-resident friends. The group found that some of the Leishmania-fighting CD4+ T cells that help fend off initial infections in mice linger in the skin for up to a year after the infection resolves.

These skin-resident memory cells reduced the number of parasites in the skin during secondary infection, largely due to their ability to attract parasite-fighting memory CD4+ T cells from the blood.

Invoking the dual action of skin and blood memory CD4+ T cells may be the key to developing an effective anti-Leishmania vaccine for humans, which has thus far been elusive.

Read the study: Skin-resident memory CD4+ T cells enhance protection against Leishmania major infection.

Tags: Leishmaniasis

Related Posts

Vials of finished vaccines
Funding News

UK Biomanufacturing Fund to Bolster Supply Chain Resilience and Pandemic Preparedness

May 26, 2023
Aptitude Awarded Up to $54M BARDA Funding for At-Home Diagnostics
Industry News

Aptitude Awarded Up to $54M BARDA Funding for At-Home Diagnostics

April 20, 2023
Medical Countermeasures

Scientists Design Molecule to Slow SARS-Cov-2 Infection

March 29, 2023
Influenza Proteins Tilt and Wave in ‘Breath-like’ Motions
Pathogens

Influenza Proteins Tilt and Wave in ‘Breath-like’ Motions

January 25, 2023
Load More

Latest News

Vials of finished vaccines

UK Biomanufacturing Fund to Bolster Supply Chain Resilience and Pandemic Preparedness

May 26, 2023
Dr. Sen Pei Discusses Challenges in Forecasting Antimicrobial Resistance

Dr. Sen Pei Discusses Challenges in Forecasting Antimicrobial Resistance

April 26, 2023
Biodefense Headlines – 25 April 2023

Biodefense Headlines – 25 April 2023

April 25, 2023
Aptitude Awarded Up to $54M BARDA Funding for At-Home Diagnostics

Aptitude Awarded Up to $54M BARDA Funding for At-Home Diagnostics

April 20, 2023

Subscribe

  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
  • Subscribe

© 2023 Stemar Media Group LLC

No Result
View All Result
  • Featured
  • COVID-19
  • Funding
  • Directory
  • Jobs
  • Events
  • Subscribe

© 2023 Stemar Media Group LLC