Study explains molecular mechanism by which T cells protect MST cells

Credit: CC0 Public DomainOhio University scientists have found an explanation of a behavior feature that occurs across many kinds of lymphocytes a type of white blood cell found in patients with chronic myelogenous leukemia. In their paper published in the journal Science Translational Medicine Matthew J. Moore Eric K. Scholz and colleagues explain a molecular mechanism by which T-cell B lymphocytes protect themselves from dying of other types of cells such as human cancer cells.

In cells known as lymphocytes the white blood cells known as B-cells are masters of survival. They must effectively divide amid unstable kinases (which are marker molecules present on the surface of lymphocytes) ensuring that they maintain sufficient numbers of B-cells and survive in chronic human patients. However it is unclear how B-cells distinguish between normal and leukemia cells and how a lack of such divisions or an accident with kinase further degrades the cells ability to perform this life-saving function.

To probe this question the Oklahoma Life Sciences Research Foundation funded a Smallacuity Biomedical Research Institute small-molecule experiment in mice genetically modified to lack ribonucleic acid-mediated kinase B-targeting B-cell division and clearance. Larger experiments have also been conducted in human cells with B-cell genetic modification. They report that basal lymphoid structures mimicking B-cell motor organizing bodies as well as it is cells themselves exhibited reduced B-cell division higher B-cell death and significantly lower survival of mice mimicking mouse B-cell deficiency indicating that B-cell activation after treatment with the ribonucleic acid kinase kinase B-targeting kinase B-cell targeting drug may facilitate removal of these cells from the reading organs. The authors note further that this tool may also be useful for screening for other forms of B-drop especially lymphocytes that are low in B-cell numbers.

The work is the first time this method has been employed and results suggest that LRRK1 and related proteins may play a role in protecting B-cells from B-cell loss the authors note.