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Health See other Health Articles Title: Scientists find protein that helps create immunity VICTORIA, Australia, July 13 (UPI) -- Scientists have discovered the protein that allows plasma cells exposed to a pathogen in the body help create future immunity, which they hope will help them create ways to promote greater immunity to diseases. The protein, Myb, allows plasma cells to move into bone marrow, where they produce the antibodies that allow for long-term immunity to infections those infections. "We found that if a plasma cell produced Myb at some stage during an immune response, then those plasma cells had the ability to migrate into the bone marrow," said Dr. Kim Good-Jacobson, of the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, in a press release. "If we can understand how to flip the molecular switch in plasma cells and activate Myb production, we might be able to encourage the immune system to create long-term immunity for a range of infections." Plasma cells are created by the body during an immune response in temporary structures called germinal centers. These centers act as a method of prototyping for the body by improving the design of antibodies quickly to better recognize pathogens. "Higher quality" plasma cells are marked by Myb, which is how those cells move into the bone marrow for future defense. "Now that we know Myb is critical in creating long-term immunity, we can begin dissecting the pathways it uses to mark plasma cells for storage and the genes involved in migrating to the bone marrow," said David Tarlinton, a professor at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute. Researchers said that while they are unsure why some cells are marked and others are not, if they can determine a method of motivating Myb production they may be able to help create longer-term immunity for more pathogens. The study is published in the Journal of Experimental Medicine. Like Us on Facebook for more stories from UPI.com Related UPI Stories European agency to review HPV vaccine side effects Frozen chicken products recalled due to salmonella Study finds correlation between education, life expectancy Post Comment Private Reply Ignore Thread
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