Researchers at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center have made a significant discovery in the field of childhood food allergies, identifying Thetis cells as a key player in suppressing inflammatory responses to food. This research was published in Nature Immunology.
What are Thetis Cells?
Thetis cells, first described in 2022, are a class of immune cells that play an essential role in maintaining harmony between beneficial bacteria and proteins found in foods that can act as allergens. These immune cells help to broker peace by collaborating with beneficial bacteria and proteins.
Research Findings
The research team utilized genetically engineered mouse models to investigate oral tolerance, which is the body’s ability to prevent an overactive response when encountering harmless substances such as food or pollen. Key findings include:
- Thetis cells take up specific proteins, such as ovalbumin (found in egg whites), allowing them to program regulatory T cells.
- Regulatory T cells suppress the activity of other immune responses and help maintain homeostasis within the body.
- By programming regulatory T cells with specific antigens like ovalbumin or peanut protein Arah2, Thetis cell-mediated oral tolerance can be enhanced.
Implications for Allergy Treatment
The study indicates a critical window for generating stronger tolerance during early life, mediated by Thetis cells. This suggests potential new strategies for treating children with severe allergies before they begin eating solid foods around six months old.
Potential Strategies
One proposed strategy involves:
- Delivering food antigens directly into immune sites using vaccines or other targeted methods.
Dr. Alexander Rudensky, who led the research, believes these findings could pave the way for developing new treatments for severe allergies, such as peanut allergies, which affect about 1% of children worldwide.
Understanding Immunity Development
Dr. Rudensky also hopes his work will illuminate how our bodies naturally develop immunity against certain foods during infancy, a process that remains poorly understood yet is crucially important.
- It is known that infants exposed orally through breast milk contain antibodies against common allergenic foods, but the exact mechanism of how they acquire these antibodies is still unclear.
This research opens new avenues for understanding and potentially treating childhood food allergies, emphasizing the importance of Thetis cells in immune response regulation.
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