ScienceScience DailyScientists discover the immune system’s hidden sense of touch
Scientists have found that immune T cells can physically sense how stiff their surrounding tissue is, a discovery that could reshape cancer immunotherapy and autoimmune treatment.
Scientists at McGill University have discovered a surprising new ability of immune cells that could change how we understand long-term immunity. Researchers found that T cells can actually sense how stiff their surrounding tissues are, using these physical signals to help determine whether they develop into long-lasting memory cells that protect against future infections.
A McGill University study published in Nature Immunology found that T cells can detect the physical stiffness of surrounding tissue, not just chemical signals as previously believed.
Researchers placed immune cells in collagen gels mimicking tissues of different stiffness and found that stiffer environments influenced whether T cells developed into long-lasting memory cells.
The study found this could help researchers design cancer immunotherapies that better penetrate dense tumours, and may also inform treatments for autoimmune disorders and transplant rejection.
The researchers say this finding could eventually help design better cancer immunotherapies that reach tumours more effectively, though clinical applications are still in early stages.
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