New method to study and treat diseases facilitate
If common medicines no longer act, can offer the use of antibodies against the pathogen is an alternative. Antibodies in the blood of animals such as mice, can not yet use it: The human immune system recognizes them as foreign and rejects them. Scientists at the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI) in Braunschweig is now in an international cooperation a promising approach succeeded: With the help of stem cells, they brought mice to form an immune system with human immune cells - which also produces human antibodies. These immune molecules could serve the research and treatment of human diseases. The researchers published their results in the online edition of Science magazine PLoSOne.
Antibodies are small proteins that are produced by B cells during an immune response. They bind to invading pathogens and mark them by, so that macrophages can recognize and kill the germs. "Our immune system distinguishes between foreign and body's structures - that his job is, "said Professor Carlos A. Guzman, head of the Department of Vaccinology and Applied Microbiology" at the HZI. "Unfortunately, the consequence that come to an antibody therapy exclusively human antibodies in question." In mice formed antibodies to the human immune system, fights by turn produces its own antibodies against them - a danger for the patient. Moreover, it is very difficult to change from the mouse antibodies for use in humans or antibody producing cells to isolate from human and alive.
To equip
mice with a human immune system, the scientists used an already established process: They injected human stem cells in young mice, which due to a severe genetic defect, no immune cells. The stem cells migrate into the bone marrow of young animals, proliferate and form a human immune system in mice. "In our subsequent studies we could find all important immune cell types in mice," said Dr. Pablo Becker, a scientist in the HZI Department of Vaccinology and Applied Microbiology.
To investigate the immune response, the researchers vaccinated mice against hepatitis B or tetanus. Antibody-producing B-cells indicate this as well and is successful, the immune response. The researchers isolated these cells and treated them so that they can survive outside the body in the cell culture dish and continue to produce antibodies. Subsequently, the researchers examined the antibodies. The result can hope: "The antibodies in the test show good properties, but must be improved for use in humans yet," says Becker. "We could, however, first to show that it is possible to obtain human antibodies from mice." It is now important to develop this mouse model further to make it one day encourage the development of therapies for diseases to be able to. "In the future," Becker also hopes, "could these mice are used to develop therapeutic antibodies for the clinic."
source Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research
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