Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have discovered a new type of immune cell that may aid in future understanding of crohn's disease. These cells, dubbed NK-22 cells are active in the tonsils and intestinal tract. They tend to have an opposite effect of other NK (Natural Killer) immune cells and promote cell proliferation and wound healing. So as the other types of NK cells create inflammation to fight off bacterial threats, these NK-22 cells are thought to have an anti-inflammatory response.
My second thought was that this discovery might explain when stem cell treatments are having some success with Crohn's patients. Maybe the stem cells become NK-22 cells or other types of beneficial cells we don't even know about.
This science is not only fascinating, but also crucial in understanding how our bodies work and disease act upon us. I am so glad that people are working so hard to help people like me.
"That finding suggests that
these cells play a role in maintaining a balance in the immune system
between inflammatory processes and anti-inflammatory processes," says
coauthor Jason Mills, M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor of pathology and
immunology and of developmental biology.
Since Crohn's and Ulcerative Colitis are an inflammation of the digestive tracts, there is hope that these new cell types could be leveraged for treatments."Diseases such as
inflammatory bowel disease result from a defect in the intestine's
protective barrier," says senior author Marco Colonna, M.D., professor
of pathology and immunology. "If we can develop methods to culture
NK-22 cells, we may be able to use them to promote healing and protect
the gastrointestinal tract."
One of my first thoughts when reading this article is that I had my tonsils removed when I was 20, right around the first time I became very ill. At that time I was diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and had a recurring tonsilitis. After my tonsils were removed I slowly began to get better. My second thought was that this discovery might explain when stem cell treatments are having some success with Crohn's patients. Maybe the stem cells become NK-22 cells or other types of beneficial cells we don't even know about.
This science is not only fascinating, but also crucial in understanding how our bodies work and disease act upon us. I am so glad that people are working so hard to help people like me.
