A team of IMM researchers led by Luís Graça published in the international scientific journal Science Immunology the result of a first study on the presence of T cells in humans.

In the course of the research, it was found that the cells are formed whenever there is antibody production, that they increase transiently after a vaccine and that they are always present in large quantities in people with Sjögren's syndrome, a chronic inflammatory autoimmune disease.

Luís Graça also explained that this research allowed identifying differences between follicular regulatory T cells contained in the blood and those found in tissues. In the blood, these cells are immature and do not fulfill the regulation function, while in the tissues, they are completely formed.

The blood of an individual with an autoimmune disease may have excess immature cells which, despite indicating the existence of the disease, do not regulate the production of antibodies.

Luís Graça still does not have an explanation for this fact, the reason for the existence of so many cells or the fact that they are immature.

Find out more about this research here and here

Sources: Saúde Online and Sapo24

Image credits: IMM