New research in mice has shown that strong muscles play an important role in maintaininga strong immune systemplay. This is particularly the case with serious chronic illnesses, which can otherwise weaken immunity. In addition, skeletal muscles can fight the process of cachexia. This primarily refers to the loss of muscle and healthy fat mass, which is often associated with serious chronic diseases, as well as a weakening of the immune system.
Prevent cachexia with strong muscles
Cachexia is typically associated with serious chronic diseases such as cancer. This condition is characterized by the loss of muscle mass and fat from the body and may account for up to a third of cancer-related deaths. Cachexia can also affect people with other serious complicationsDiseases such as AIDS, chronic kidney disease and heart failure. According to Alfred Goldberg of Harvard University School of Medicine in Cambridge, cachexia may be due to the body overcompensating. This happens when the body tries to get energy from muscle and fat to fight a serious illness. However, exactly why and how this happens is still largely unknown.
Despite cachexia's association with mortality, researchers have not yet developed effective treatments for it. However, there is growing awareness of the need to research cachexia in the hope that scientists can find effective treatments. In addition to cachexia, people with serious illnesses may also have a weakened immune system. This is because their T cells, which are central to the immune system's response to disease, are depleted. Scientists have linked these T cells to it. It is therefore known that tumor cells are involved in the loss of skeletal muscle mass. Whether and how the skeletal muscles in turn influence the function of theT cells influenced, but is still unclear.
Study with medical perspectives
In this context, the researchers developed a study to investigate the relationship between cachexia, skeletal muscle mass and T cells. First, they transferred the lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus to mice. They then examined gene expression in the skeletal muscle of the mice. They found that the mice's muscle cells released more neurotransmitter interleukin-15 in response to the chronic infection. Interleukin-15 attracts T cell precursors, in this case to skeletal muscle. This clears the precursor T cells from the infection. Accordingly, this infection wears out the fighting T cells. When the T cells that actively fight an infection lose their full functionality through continuous stimulation, the progenitor cells can migrate from the muscles and develop into functional T cells. This allows the immune system to continuously fight the virus over a long period of time.
Interestingly, the study found a connection between muscle mass loss and T cell exhaustion. This affects the strength of the immune system. However, future experiments will have to show whether the results can be transferred to humans. The study focused on skeletal muscle, but cachexia also causes fat tissue to be wasted. As a result, the study authors suggest that future research could examine whether or not a similar relationship exists between adipose tissue and T cell protection. The researchers also note that it is not yet clear how these T cell precursors form in skeletal muscle mass. However, they hope that scientists will help answer these questionsthis studycan develop effective therapies that specifically target cachexia in humans.
