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Your skin will sound the alarm!
The secret of the 'immune alarm' revealed
Guangming Daily, Beijing, March 16 (Reporter Deng Hui) How does local infection trigger systemic immune response throughout the body? A joint team composed of Professor Liu Wanli from the School of Life Sciences of Tsinghua University, Professor Zhang Yonghui from the School of Pharmacy, and domestic experts from many fields have recently solved this immunological problem after more than ten years of scientific research. Research has found that the metabolic intermediate in skin fibroblasts, farnesyl pyrophosphate (hereinafter referred to as "FPP"), can transform into an "immune alarm" at critical moments, activating two signaling pathways to enhance systemic immune responses. Relevant research results provide new targets for the development of new vaccine adjuvants and the prevention and treatment of autoimmune diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus.
The skin is the first barrier against pathogen invasion and environmental stimulation. Local infection or injury lesions are like "beacons" in the immune system, accurately transmitting danger signals to the entire body and mobilizing systemic immune responses. The mechanism behind this process has always been an unsolved mystery in the field of immunology. The answer to this question will not only deepen the understanding of the regulation of the immune system, but also be related to the analysis of the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus and the optimization of clinical intervention strategies.
In order to solve this problem, the joint team focused on the key metabolic network of the mevalonate pathway and gathered multidisciplinary forces such as immunology, metabolomics and systems biology. After more than ten years of systematic research, they finally identified and confirmed the "key messenger" in this pathway that transmits immune signals from local lesions to the whole body – FPP.
Research shows that FPP can serve as a key messenger linking local inflammation and systemic immunity, regulating biochemical center reactions and amplifying systemic humoral immune responses. Simply put, when the skin is infected by bacteria or exposed to strong ultraviolet rays, the skin's keratinocytes will initiate an emergency response, causing FPP to rapidly accumulate in the cells.
"This substance is an 'immune alarmin' emitted by cells. It will precisely bind to the intracellular domain of TRPV3 on the cell, just like a key opening a lock, allowing calcium ions to enter the cell, thereby activating two signaling pathways and prompting the cells to secrete two key substances, IL-6 and CCL20." According to team members, the two substances have a clear division of labor: the former can promote the differentiation of immune cells, and the latter recruits and promotes the movement of dendritic cells to lymph nodes. The combination of the two can significantly enhance the immune response of lymph nodes, not only allowing the body to produce more antibodies that can fight pathogens, but also forming immune memory, allowing the body to respond quickly the next time it encounters the same type of pathogen.
The team also found that aromatic substances in plants such as carvacrol and camphor can also enhance immunity through the same signaling pathway, which also provides scientific basis for the traditional saying that "aromatics ward off dirt".
"In the future, we will continue to delve into the details of this signaling pathway and explore its role in other immune diseases." Team members said that they will accelerate the clinical research of related adjuvants and targeted drugs, and explore more natural immune regulatory substances in combination with traditional aromatic Chinese medicine, so that the results of basic research can be truly transformed into clinical diagnosis and treatment solutions.
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Why basking in the sun is good for your health
Many people know that "more sun exposure is good for good health", but few people know the reason behind it – in fact, the essence of sun exposure is to "recharge" our immune system and enhance resistance.
The skin is the body’s largest “protective wall” and an “early warning station” for the immune system. When the skin is exposed to sunlight, it will produce an "alarm molecule" called farnesyl pyrophosphate, which sends an "alarm" to the body like lighting a beacon. Subsequently, a "channel" (TRPV3 channel) on the skin cells will open, and extracellular calcium ions will penetrate into the cells in large quantities, allowing the body to release substances that can speed up and strengthen the immune system, and the resistance will naturally increase.
However, don’t be greedy for too much sun exposure: Moderate exposure to the sun can gently activate the immune system and improve protection; however, exposure to too much sun for too long or too hard will cause the immune system to “overload” and cause inflammation, which may actually aggravate some autoimmune diseases (such as lupus erythematosus). The immune system itself of such patients is too “active” and will mistakenly attack their own body organs. This also just confirms what our ancestors said about the "golden mean". Too much is never enough, and immunity also needs to be balanced.
