UCalgary research reveals how special cells act as ‘sentinels’ of the immune system

The human immune system is a marvel of biological engineering, yet, even today, there are fundamental aspects of its operation that remain shrouded in mystery.

"Our immune systems protect us from everyday threats — like the viruses that cause the flu or from mutated cells like cancer cells," says Dr. Johnathan Canton, PhD. "Yet, there are certain, seemingly basic, aspects of immunity that we do not understand."

Canton is well-positioned to uncover these mysteries as an assistant professor in the University of Calgary's Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and as a member of the Calvin, Phoebe and Joan Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, and Arnie Charbonneau Cancer Institute.

One key aspect of immunity that has puzzled scientists is how immune cells generate anti-virus or anti-cancer responses. In a recent breakthrough published in Science Immunology, Canton's research has revealed a fascinating mechanism within dendritic cells — specialized immune cells that act as sentinels in our body.

Dendritic cells act as the "garbage collectors" of our body, "eating" fragments of infected cells and holding them in specialized "pockets." The infected cells are transported to lymph nodes, where immune cells decide whether to mount a full-scale attack or dismiss the threat.

"We've known for years that these dendritic cells somehow release the fragments from their pockets, but we didn't know how," Canton says. "Our team has discovered that proteins within the dendritic cell act like a 'hole-punch,' allowing these fragments to be shared with other immune cells to decide on a response."

This discovery holds significant promise for enhancing vaccine efficacy and developing innovative immunotherapies. "With this finding, we can leverage this discovery to more effectively help dendritic cells drive vaccine responses and immunotherapeutic strategies," Canton says.

By understanding how to activate these dendritic pathways, we can integrate this mechanism into vaccine development for more-effective delivery, akin to navigating a city with a detailed map, rather than relying on outdated directions.

Beyond human health, the implications of this research extend to veterinary medicine. As Canton points out, "immunotherapies are one of the fastest-growing categories of medicine in the veterinary world." This advancement could lead to better treatment options for our beloved pets and even improve the health of animals raised for consumption, potentially leading to economic benefits such as lower food prices.

While further research is required to fully harness these insights, Canton and his team will be there paving the way for these groundbreaking discoveries.