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A new study turns the well established theory that antibodies arerequired for antiviral immunity upside down and reveals that anunexpected partnership between the specific and non-specificdivisions of the immune system is critical for fighting some typesof viral infections. The research, published online in the journal Immunity by Cell Press, may lead to a new understanding of the best way tohelp protect those exposed to potentially lethal viruses, such asthe rabies virus. The immune system has two main branches, innate immunity andadaptive immunity. Innate immunity is a first line of defense thatrelies on cells and mechanisms that provide non-specific immunity.The more sophisticated adaptive immunity, which countsantibody-producing B cells as part of its arsenal, is thought toplay a major role in the specific response to viral infections inmammals. However, adaptive immune responses require time to becomefully mobilized. "Mice infected with vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) can sufferfatal invasion of the central nervous system even when they have ahigh concentration of anti-VSV antibodies in their system,"explains senior study author, Dr. Ulrich H. von Andrian, fromHarvard Medical School. "This observation led us to revisit thecontribution of adaptive immune responses to survival following VSVinfection." The research team studied VSV infection in mice that had B cellsbut did not produce antibodies. Unexpectedly, although the B cellsthemselves were essential, survival after VSV exposure did notrequire antibodies or other aspects of traditional adaptiveimmunity."We determined that the B cells produced a chemical neededto maintain innate immune cells called macrophages. The macrophagesproduced type I interferons, which were required to prevent fatalVSV invasion," says co-author Dr. Matteo Iannacone. Taken together, the results show that the essential role of B cellsagainst VSV does not require adaptive mechanisms, but is insteaddirectly linked with the innate immune system. "Our findingscontradict the current view that antibodies are absolutely requiredto survive infection with viruses like VSV, and establish anunexpected function for B cells as custodians of macrophages inantiviral immunity," concludes Dr. von Andrian. "It will beimportant to further dissect the role of antibodies and interferonsin immunity against similar viruses that attack the nervous system,such as rabies, West Nile virus , and Encephalitis." Additional References Citations. I am an expert from mifare-smart-card.com, while we provides the quality product, such as 125khz Cards Manufacturer , China Mifare Smart Card, UHF Inlay,and more.
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