We are all familiar with acute inflammation. Redness, pain and bruising around the wound alert the immune system to the damage it needs to heal. higher.
More than 50% of all deaths worldwide are associated with chronic inflammation-related diseases such as ischemic heart disease, cancer, stroke, diabetes mellitus, kidney disease, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, autoimmune and neurodegenerative diseases doing. Also, there are few interventions for chronic inflammation other than dietary and lifestyle changes.
Now, researchers have made a breakthrough discovery, unraveling how white blood cells migrate from blood vessels to sites of injury. In turn, diseases caused by chronic inflammation have better outcomes.
Research from the Centenary Institute has revealed a mechanism by which neutrophils “slough off” their blood vessels and are able to migrate through the body. Neutrophils, a type of white blood cell, are an essential component of the immune system and the body’s “first responder” to injury and infection, but over time too much of the good can lead to a dangerous chronic inflammatory state. may be connected.
“Molecules known as integrins help neutrophils stick to the walls of blood vessels, preventing the cells from being carried away by the bloodstream,” said lead author of the study and the University of ACRF’s Centenary Cancer Research Institute. said Dr. Joyce Chiu of the research center. of Sydney. “To migrate to the site of injury, neutrophils must attach and detach from the vessel wall. I didn’t understand.”
Scientists have identified a protein secreted by neutrophils, protein disulfide isomerase (PDI). This protein plays a pivotal role in allowing cells to leave blood vessels. Dr. Chiu believes that targeting PDI could limit neutrophil release.
“New drugs can be designed to inhibit PDI and prevent neutrophils from ‘stripping’ and migrating from the vessel wall,” she added. “Preventing neutrophils from moving around helps prevent chronic inflammation by reducing their ability to accumulate at sites of injury or infection.”
Of course, neutrophils are needed to respond to damage, but limiting their ability to collect and damage healthy tissue can have a significant impact on chronic inflammation-related diseases such as heart attack and stroke.
“Our study may pave the way for new treatments and management strategies that limit the extent of inflammation and may improve outcomes for individuals with chronic inflammation and cardiovascular disease,” said Chiu. said Dr.
The study was published in a journal circulation research.
Source: Centenary Institute
