It is known that 70 to 80 percent of the cells of our immune system are dedicated to this organ. And it is not surprising: they are where they are most needed, because it is one of the organs that is most exposed to the environment that surrounds us. “We consume the environment through our food, and it is the intestine that makes this interaction”, says Manuela Ferreira.
This organ allows the absorption of nutrients from food, but this exposes it to microorganisms that harm us, such as salmonella, Escherichia coli or rotavirus. In the first years of life, protection against these agents is less effective, which is why infectious diseases of the gastrointestinal tract are so common in childhood and one of the leading causes of death in children under five years of age, especially in developing countries. less developed. Follow Us To Find Out More: murah4d
We are fragile when we are born. We are not equipped with the knowledge or skills to survive on our own. And most immune system cells come into the world just like us: clean slates, inexperienced. Like us, they don't know what to expect, or how to defend themselves against the world they are suddenly thrown into. "They are naive," sums up the researcher.
It turns out that researchers believe that there is another population of T cells: natural or unconventional T cells, which when we are born are already endowed with a defense program that they bring from the organ where they live, they prepare themselves, Themis. . "It's like they've been cradled with the ability to respond quickly to risk factors. And our hypothesis is that they develop and play a defensive role in the gut early in life with retinoid micronutrients, while other cells T, who are conventional, are still learning to deal with negative factors.
With this work, financed by "la Caixa" Welfare Projects [see information at the end of the text], Manuela Ferreira has two objectives: to formally demonstrate that natural or unconventional T cells, which are produced in the thymus, are important for them . intestinal defenses, especially in the early stages of life, and understand why vitamin A signals seem to be so important for their development. Follow Us To Find Out More: murah4d