A research team headed by Professor Tsvee Lapidot of Israel’s Weizmann Institute’s immunology Department has discovered that the body’s precious stem cells – special bodies which can morph into many different types in order to provide vital services to the body in cases of need – have a little help in the immune system.
According to the paper, reported on by Israel21c, stem cells have backup from a sub-group of activated immune cells whose sole purpose is to defend them.
While the presence of mesenchymal cells – cells which provide support to stem cells in order to keep them healthy and strong – was already known, Dr. Lapidot’s team discovered that a subgroup of cells exists which prevent the differentiation of stem cells, secreting prostaglandins which preserve the youthfulness of the stem cells and prevent them from turning into anything else – also helping them survive chemotherapy or respond to infections.
Lapidot’s study further showed that introducing prostaglandin treatments can improve the quality and increase the number of the stem cells, an important discovery which may impact the strength and amount of cures to patients with leukemia.