Scientists Are Starting to Unlock the Nanoscale Secrets of the Immune System

"We have discovered something that's known as the immunological synapse, which is that lots of different protein molecules are known to trigger the immune system."

"Today's microscopes reveal worlds that we just had no idea that existed. There wasn't really a hypothesis that led us to that; it was watching things happen under a microscope."

"When an immune cell sticks to another cell, it's got to decide if that other cell is healthy or diseased. Small, nanoscale protrusions come out from the immune cell to make that initial contact."

"By binding to the immune cell in this way and bringing key proteins closer together, these molecules can send a really strong potent signal for the immune cell to switch on."

Researchers are using advanced microscopes to uncover previously invisible dynamics in the human immune system, revealing multiple processes at a nanoscale. This new understanding includes the discovery of the immunological synapse, where various protein molecules trigger immune responses. Observations show that immune cells make initial contact with other cells differently than previously thought. Collaborations with pharmaceutical companies aim to influence immune responses by using reengineered antibodies to strengthen signals that activate immune cells, enhancing their ability to target diseased cells.

Read at WIRED