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ATTRACTION ... not always a good thing
by Dr. Ratko Djukanovic
The body relies on a healthy immune system to defend it against various bacteria and viruses that surround us and constantly pose a threat. Our lungs are no exception in this respect; we need to have the full array of so-called inflammatory cells which wait for the culprit to attack. these cells reside in the hollow tubes of the lungs, called bronchi, and patrol the airways, moving upwards from deep within the lungs towards the mouth and using the conveyer belt that consists of a mucous lining transported by beating finger-like projections called cilia. the inflammatory cells have finite life and it is, therefore, important for the new cells to be recruited into the airways to replace the "ageing soldiers".
The mechanisms that regulate the way cells come into the airways are extremely complex. the Inflammatory Cell Biology Group, one of the groups of the asthma research programme at Southampton University, has for some time now focused on elucidating the mechanisms which control the migration and accumulation of inflammatory cells in health and disease. Using a number of approches, we have observed that there is an increased influx of inflammatory cells such as eosinophils and T lymphocytes, and have demonstrated that this is an integral part of the asthmatic process. We have sought evidence of chemical activity which attracts cells into the airways using a number of methods, including analysis of sputum that one can induce in asthmatic individuals and stimulation bronchial tissue (bronchial biopsies obtained from asthmatic volunteers) with allergen to which they are allergic. these studies have shown that there is increased attraction of immune cells into the airways in response to allergen, and we believe that this is a major contributor to the asthmatic process. We are currently trying to characterise further this chemical activity, focusing on the critical question "is this activity directed specifically at T lymphocytes that selectively recognise allergen".
Thus, whilst attraction of immune cells into the lungs is normally a healthy thing, we have to understand better the mechanisms which inappropriately increase the attraction of immune cells which, we believe, contribute significantly to the chronic inflammation that is typical of asthma.
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