Scientists have found a special type of immune cell named “stem-like T cells.” These cells may be very important for keeping our immune system strong, especially when dealing with tough illnesses like cancer and long-lasting infections.
When people have diseases like cancer, their immune cells, known as T cells, can become tired and stop working well. This study was done by the researchers at the Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity and Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre.
They discovered that stem-like T cells can stay strong for longer. This is because they have a special protein named ID3, which helps them not get tired. These ID3 T cells can make copies of themselves and fight diseases better than regular T cells that don’t have this protein.
Catarina Gago da Graca, a PhD student involved in the study, explained how important ID3 T cells are in solving one of the biggest problems in treating serious diseases: tired immune systems.
The researchers also found that certain signals in our body can help the number of ID3 T cells grow. This means that by increasing these cells, we could make treatments like CAR T cell therapy more effective.
Professor Ricky Johnstone, who is part of the Peter Mac team, said if we can make ID3 cells even stronger, it could lead to better treatments for cancer and help patients’ immune systems work better.
Moreover, Dr. Daniel Utzschneider from the Doherty Institute added that this research could lead to better immunotherapy treatments and vaccines that give longer-lasting protection.
This study was a team effort involving scientists from many places, including La Trobe University, Northwestern University in the USA, and the University of Birmingham in the UK.
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