mRNA, akin to DNA, conveys directives for creating proteins. Researchers have discovered three mRNA types that may aid in combating immune system aging.(Image credit: KATERYNA KON/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY via Getty Images)ShareShare by:
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A novel mRNA therapy revitalizes vital immune cells within the body, potentially assisting them in resisting infections and cancer, according to a study in mice.
T cells support the training of other immune cells to fend off illness. However, as an organism matures, the function of these T cells diminishes, and their responsiveness to dangers decreases. Furthermore, the thymus gland — the location of T cell maturation — contracts as age advances. These repercussions of getting older might clarify why immunizations and immune-enhancing cancer therapies are less potent in older people when compared to younger individuals, Nature News stated.
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mRNA, in addition to its other functions, transmits data from DNA to the protein-generating components within cells, working as a blueprint for the formation of new proteins. The research group responsible for the current investigation scrutinized T cells from aging mice, recognizing three proteins seemingly diminished with age and contributing to the aging mechanism. Subsequently, they synthesized mRNA for the trio of proteins, encased them within microscopic fat bubbles, and administered them to middle-aged mice approximately 16 months in age.
These mRNA-enriched bubbles journeyed via the circulatory system to the liver, accumulating there. The majority of T cells exist within the bloodstream, and due to the liver’s role in filtering blood, T cells likely circulated through the liver, encountering the available mRNA supply.
Mice that were given the mRNA generated a higher quantity of T cells compared to their untreated counterparts. The studies indicated that the T cells of the treated mice also showed improved responses to both vaccination and cancer immunotherapy.
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The advantages of the treatment, which was provided to the mice twice weekly, rapidly dissipated when the scientists discontinued the injections. This outcome isn’t necessarily unexpected, considering that mRNA molecules degrade quite rapidly within the body, irrespective of whether they were originally produced by cells or created in a laboratory.
“The transient characteristic of mRNA delivery calls for recurring administrations to uphold therapeutic impacts,” the study’s writers noted in their report. Having said that, “the enduring ramifications of sustained exposure to these factors, notably in older people, should be examined via comprehensive, prolonged safety analyses.”
In summary, supplementary investigation is necessary to determine if the identical strategy could prove effective in humans. Further details concerning the research can be found in Nature News.
Nicoletta LaneseSocial Links NavigationChannel Editor, Health
Nicoletta Lanese serves as the health channel editor at Live Science, previously fulfilling roles as a news editor and staff journalist at the same platform. She possesses a graduate certification in science communication from UC Santa Cruz, coupled with degrees in both neuroscience and dance attained from the University of Florida. Her publications have been featured in outlets such as The Scientist, Science News, the Mercury News, Mongabay, and Stanford Medicine Magazine, among others. Based out of NYC, she continues to participate extensively in dance, engaging in performances within local choreographers’ productions.
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