Immunosuppressant against immunodeficiency
In the USA, immunodeficiency was cured with an immunosuppressant
In this case, scientists were dealing with a rather rare type of immunodeficiency, which is caused by a mutation in the gene encoding the enzyme P110, involved in the immune response.
As a result of mutation in patients, the activity of this enzyme increased. It would seem that they should have had stronger immunity as a result, but in fact everything turned out to be the opposite.
Specialists from the National Institute of Health in Bethesda, led by Gulbu Uzel, examined 14 people from seven families aged from 1 to 40 years. These people were constantly suffering from lung infections. All the subjects were found to have a mutation in the gene encoding the enzyme P110. It turned out that these people were deprived of the lion's share of memory T-cells. These lymphocytes help to find out which infections the body has already encountered in order to react more quickly in case of a new meeting.
On the surface of T cells there are receptors that are able to recognize antigens presented in a special way in the body, most often fragments of infectious agents. After recognizing the antigen, the lymphocyte begins to actively divide and secrete special substances into the blood – cytokines that activate other cells of the immune system, capable of killing foreign cells that caused the activation of T-lymphocytes.
The researchers decided to use the drug rapamycin, known as an immunosuppressant. It is usually used in transplantology to reduce rejection of transplanted organs. Rapamycin got its name because it was first introduced from a bacterium found on Easter Island (Rapa Nui).
The use of rapamycin helped to compensate for the excessive activity of the enzyme P110. At the same time, the drug relieves disorders of the work of leukocytes: excessive reproduction and increased survival.
Article by Lucas et al. Dominant-activating germline mutations in the gene encoding the PI(3)K catalytic subunit p110delta result in T cell senescence and human immunodeficiency is published in the journal Nature Immunology.
Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru30.10.2013