Mexicans create artificial cells for the immune system

• April 26, 2024

The main function of immune system is to protect the body against infections, which can be produced by a large number of pathogens. At the same time, the immune system must be able to avoid generating responses directed against the body's own components.

Dendritic cells

These play a fundamental role in the initiation of immune response . In nature, the dendritic cells they have the ability to capture antigens , both own and foreign, including those that come from agents that represent a threat to health.

Currently, scientists from Mexico Y Europe are working on the development of the first artificial dendritic cells that induce or inhibit the body's immune response.

Roberto González Amaro , researcher at the Autonomous University of San Luis Potosí and leader of the project, reported that this type of cells are divided, from the functional point of view, into two large groups: immunogenic (induce the immune response) and tolerogenic (they inhibit it).

For the job, specialists insert, in a membrane, all the molecules that are important for a good function; once this cell is obtained, it is activated and communicated with others, in such a way that a artificial dendritic tolerogenic or immunogenic.

The implications in the future

This development will have therapeutic applications offering great benefits. For example when injecting artificial cells so that a patient do not refuse a transplant or not to have an autoimmune response in the cases of rheumatoid arthritis, lupus erythematosus, to name a few.

The researchers hope to generate, in addition, vaccinations for those cases in which the individual already has the disease. This would be applied so that it induces an immune response and that the response ends with the cells of a tumor.

This development is for the future , but you already have the essential knowledge that is important. Everything indicates that he is going in the right way.