MSGID: 1:317/3 64153e6a   
   PID: hpt/lnx 1.9.0-cur 2019-01-08   
   TID: hpt/lnx 1.9.0-cur 2019-01-08   
    Discovery of an unexpected function of blood immune cells: Their ability   
   to proliferate    
      
     Date:   
         March 17, 2023   
     Source:   
         University of Liege   
     Summary:   
         The ability of a cell to divide, to proliferate, is essential for   
         life and gives rise to the formation of complex organisms from a   
         single cell.   
      
         It also allows the replacement of used cells from a limited number   
         of 'stem' cells, which then proliferate and specialize. In cancer,   
         however, cell proliferation is no longer controlled and becomes   
         chaotic.   
      
         Researchers have discovered that, in a healthy individual, certain   
         blood immune cells, the monocytes, also have this ability to   
         proliferate, with the aim to replace tissue macrophages, which   
         are essential for the proper functioning of our body.   
      
      
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   FULL STORY   
   ==========================================================================   
   The ability of a cell to divide, to proliferate, is essential for life and   
   gives rise to the formation of complex organisms from a single cell. It   
   also allows the replacement of used cells from a limited number of "stem"   
   cells, which then proliferate and specialize. In cancer, however, cell   
   proliferation is no longer controlled and becomes chaotic. Researchers   
   from the GIGA Institute at the University of Lie`ge have discovered that,   
   in a healthy individual, certain blood immune cells, the monocytes,   
   also have this ability to proliferate, with the aim to replace tissue   
   macrophages, which are essential for the proper functioning of our   
   body. This study is published in Nature Immunology.   
      
      
   ==========================================================================   
   The formation of complex multicellular organisms, which human beings   
   belong to, requires the generation of billions of cells from a limited   
   number of progenitor cells that have first proliferated and then acquire   
   particular morphologies and functions while assembling into tissues   
   and organs. Our current knowledge indicates that most of the cells   
   that constitute a living organism arise from so-called "stem" cells,   
   which have divided by a process called mitosis in order to give rise   
   to a greater number of cells. These cells then stop proliferating to   
   specialize, differentiate and form muscles, brain, bones, immune cells,   
   etc. When proliferation is no longer properly regulated, this can lead   
   to the development of various diseases, among which cancers represent   
   the most striking example. In a study published inNature Immunology,   
   Professor Thomas Marichal (Professor at ULie`ge, Welbio investigator   
   at the WEL Research Institute) and his team from the GIGA Institute   
   at ULie`ge discovered that this ability to proliferate is not merely   
   restricted to stem cells, but is also an as-yet-unknown function of   
   blood immune cells, the monocytes. Indeed, blood monocytes, previously   
   considered as differentiated cells, are capable of proliferating and   
   generating a pool of monocytes in the tissues in order to give rise to   
   macrophages, which are important immune cells that protect us against   
   microbes and support the proper functioning of our organs.   
      
   "This is a major fundamental discovery, which changes our conception   
   of the involvement of cell proliferation in the constitution and   
   maintenance of our immune system." explains Thomas Marichal, director of   
   the study. "Our finding also suggests that the information that can be   
   drawn from an enumeration of blood monocytes, classically carried out   
   during a blood test, would reflect only little of what is happening at   
   the level of the tissues, during 'infection or inflammation, for example,   
   since monocytes can proliferate when they enter tissues." He also adds:   
   "Fortunately, this proliferation is extremely well controlled and does not   
   lead to a tumoral process. It has only one goal: to allow, as effectively   
   as possible, the replacement of immune cells that populate our tissues:   
   the macrophages."   
       * RELATED_TOPICS   
             o Health_&_Medicine   
                   # Immune_System # Stem_Cells # Lymphoma # Brain_Tumor   
             o Plants_&_Animals   
                   # Biotechnology # Biology # Developmental_Biology #   
                   Molecular_Biology   
       * RELATED_TERMS   
             o Adult_stem_cell o Stem_cell o Embryonic_stem_cell   
             o Somatic_cell o Cell_(biology) o Necrosis o T_cell o   
             White_blood_cell   
      
   ==========================================================================   
   Story Source: Materials provided by University_of_Liege. Note: Content   
   may be edited for style and length.   
      
      
   ==========================================================================   
   Journal Reference:   
      1. Domien Vanneste, Qiang Bai, Shakir Hasan, Wen Peng, Dimitri   
      Pirottin,   
         Joey Schyns, Pauline Mare'chal, Cecilia Ruscitti, Margot   
         Meunier, Zhaoyuan Liu, Ce'line Legrand, Laurence Fievez,   
         Florent Ginhoux, Coraline Radermecker, Fabrice Bureau, Thomas   
         Marichal. MafB-restricted local monocyte proliferation precedes   
         lung interstitial macrophage differentiation. Nature Immunology,   
         2023; DOI: 10.1038/s41590-023-01468-3   
   ==========================================================================   
      
   Link to news story:   
   https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/03/230317144955.htm   
      
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