ding some protection against the development of atherosclerosis. When a lipid-containing protein called low-density lipoprotein, which is involved in the development of atherosclerosis, is broken down, it creates small peptides that are recognized by the two components of the immune system: the natural immune system, which every individual is born with and that responds to a fixed set of conserved pathogenic markers; and the adaptive immune system, which responds to previously unknown pathogenic markers and changes its complement of antibodies over an individual's lifetime in a manner dependent on the types of pathogens it encounters. Christoph Binder, Joseph Witztum, and colleagues, from the University of California, San Diego, present intriguing data that show that the adaptive immune system, when activated to produce an anti-atherosclerosis response, enhances the natural immune anti-athersclerosis response, creating increased protection against atherosclerosis. By injecting a breakdown product of low-density lipoprotein into mouse models for atherosclerosis, the authors found that an adaptive immune response against this peptide was initiated, and that this was followed by an increase in the production of a natural antibody, called T15/EO6, which also recognizes the lipoprotein breakdown product. Mice treated in such a manner showed reduced atherosclerotic lesion size. The increase in the natural antibody production required the presence of a cytokine called IL-5, which was produced by cells in the adaptive immune system. This work identifies a molecular mechanism that can link the adaptive and natural immune responses against atherosclerosis and thus provides potential new means to enhance anti-atherosclerotic immune responses for therapeutic purposes.

An accompanying commentary by Alan Daugherty and colleagues, from the University of Kentucky, present these data in the context of what is currently understood about the interaction of the natural and
'"/>

Contact: Laurie Goodman
press_releases@the-jci.org
212-342-4159
Journal of Clinical Investigation
2-Aug-2004

Page: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Related biology news :

1. Chemical engineering grad students will take notable national awards
2. New study indicates arsenic could be suitable as first-line treatment in type of leukaemia
3. JCI table of contents September 15, 2004
4. JCI table of contents: 1 September, 2004
5. Anti-cancer compound in vegetables found to block late-stage breast-cancer cell growth
6. JCI table of contents, 16 August, 2004
7. When male fish hum, females swim in, thanks to hormones, adaptable hearing
8. JCI table of contents, 1 July 2004
9. Search and destroy protein turns tables on HIV
10. JCI table of contents, 15 June 2004
11. JCI table of contents, 1 June 2004