Why does the immune system kill its own cells? How does a tumor deceive the immune system? inconspicuous things that destroy our immunity
The immune system protects us 24 hours a day, however, with certain violations, it begins to attack its own body.
How the immune system works
You do not notice this, but inside you there is a constant struggle with alien invaders. Millions of bacteria, viruses and and strive to settle on everything ready, and lead their hectic life at your own expense. Therefore, the body's defense mechanisms must constantly be on the alert, and in case of danger, immediately respond. The immune system is a kind of Ministry of Defense, which mercilessly destroys microscopic "occupiers" and "illegal migrants." Whatever you do, whatever you do, a large army of immune cells is ready to fight the enemy. Moreover, for each specific type of foreign pathogen (antigen), specific “hit killers” (antibodies) are produced. Even during sleep, every cell of the human body is reliably protected.
The question arises: how does the immune system destroy “everything that is foreign”, while its own tissues and organs remain unharmed? The thing is that on the surface of each cell of the body there are special proteins - something like an identity card. The immune system is able to recognize these proteins as its own. Thus, a healthy cell, having presented its “crust” to immunity, calmly goes about its business, without fear of violent actions. This phenomenon is known as "immunological tolerance".
As soon as immune cells meet aliens without "documents", the operation to neutralize the enemy immediately begins.
Immunologist
The process of formation of autoantibodies occurs constantly, but there is a system of resistance (tolerance) to these antibodies. When there is a breakdown of tolerance, then the disease begins. This can affect the skin, blood vessels, joints and all internal organs individually or in combinations. The insidiousness of these ailments is that they often cannot be distinguished from infectious or somatic diseases, and the presence of an autoimmune disease can only be confirmed by laboratory tests.
When overreacting
Today, basically everyone is puzzled by how to strengthen the immune system. Every now and then, at every opportunity, we try to improve our health by all means, taking plant or synthetic origin. Unfortunately, apart from immunodeficiency problems, there is also a danger of skew in the other direction. Certain malfunctions in the body lead to the fact that the immune system, our Ministry of Defense, begins to fight with its own body, not distinguishing “us” from “them”. And in this way, a faithful defender becomes a terrible monster, devouring everything in its path. There is a so-called, which leads to serious diseases. rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus, (thyroid disease), glomerulonephritis (kidney disease), multiple sclerosis- this is not the whole list of these diseases.
For a long time it was not possible to understand the cause of these diseases. As treatment options, topical or general anti-inflammatory agents have been used, which naturally proved to be ineffective.
And only half a century ago, medicine slowly began to unravel autoimmune diseases. Although until now this category of diseases is fraught with a lot of mysterious and incomprehensible. For example, relatively recently it turned out that the presence of auto-aggressive antibodies in the body (affecting the cells of one's own body) is not at all a pathology!
A natural question arises: why did nature create a system in our body directed against us? It turns out that autoantibodies perform very important function to cleanse the body of obsolete cells. Indeed, throughout our life we are literally reborn several times, new cells come in place of old cells, and so on.
The causes of these diseases can be both genetic and factors. environment. However, we often have to talk about their combination, because. heredity may not be realized. Among the causes of violations of the autoimmune process are the following:
- nutrition;
- human psychology;
- chronic infections;
- stress;
- medications;
- irradiation.
However, it should be borne in mind that each patient will have his own set of the above factors.
Complexities of treatment
Search effective treatment Autoimmune disease is being pursued along several fronts. Recently, scientists are even thinking about the use of gene therapy, thanks to which it will be possible to replace the defective gene. However, this treatment method will not enter practice soon, moreover, mutations in the genome are not always the cause of a particular disease.
To date, treatment protocols mainly include drugs that suppress the immune system or change the immune response. Depending on the specific case, hormones, immunosuppressants, drugs based on monoclonal antibodies can be used. In our country, plasmapheresis is also used (blood sampling followed by plasma separation).
Prevention of immunosuppression
The real problem in the treatment of autoimmune diseases is that often known methods do not act on the cause of the disease, but on the whole organism as a whole. In addition to suppressing the activity of autoimmune processes, drugs significantly reduce the normal protective functions of the body. Of course, this situation cannot suit anyone, so active work is underway to develop effective means treatment. And one of the encouraging methods was T cell vaccination. The essence of the method is that a vaccine is prepared from aggressive immune cells, and when it is introduced into the body, the immune system willy-nilly begins to fight the aggressor. Currently, T-cell vaccination is used in the treatment of multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis.
“Strong immunity, paradoxically, can also be an enemy of health,” says MD, professor at the Department of Clinical Immunology and Allergology at the Moscow medical academy them. I.M. Sechenov Oleg Vitalievich Kalyuzhin. Why is this happening? Let's try to figure it out.
We used to think that immunity is an absolute good. People with good immunity get sick less and recover faster. It is logical after all that the stronger it is, the better. Why do you insist otherwise?
The fact is that immunity has its own logic, which is sometimes difficult to explain even to an immunologist. And according to her, a lot is not always good. Today we know this for sure. The main thing is not strength, but its balance, selectivity and ultimate effectiveness. The slightest bias in one direction or another can immediately harm the body.
Here are examples. The most banal situation is angina or pharyngitis. You have probably heard about the complications that these, in principle, not very complex and well treatable diseases can give? However, often they cause problems with the heart, kidneys and joints. The paradox is that the reason for this is their own immunity.
What is unusual here? Immunity is weak, the body does not fight - that's the complications.
Not certainly in that way. Most of these situations are caused, on the contrary, by too much activity of the immune system and a violation of its selectivity in relation to “one's own” and “them”. As a result, the patient's body produces many special substances - antibodies that attack not only pathogenic microbes, but also the heart, joints, and kidneys. By the way, such an immune reaction to an infection is far from uncommon.
Take viral hepatitis. With them, the virus enters the liver cells. And if the severity of immune reactions against liver cells is excessive, then mass death the body's own cells infected with the virus. On the one hand, this is good. But on the other hand, such a stormy activity turns into a disaster. After all, their innocent healthy liver cells also fall under the shelling. There is a powerful attack - indiscriminately, like "beat your own people so that strangers are afraid." As a result, the disease develops rapidly, liver cells are quickly affected, which can lead to liver failure.
Destruction of the liver is, of course, very serious, but today it is not fatal. There are medicines, there is surgery, there is, in the end, transplantation ...
Here is another curious immunological phenomenon. After transplantation, an immune attack occurs on the transplanted, and therefore initially foreign, organ. Immunity cannot be deceived, it acts like a professional bodyguard - if a “stranger” appears, then it needs to be neutralized. And he shows fantastic activity, trying with all his might to get rid of the "not his" element. If there are many of these forces, then the risk of rejection of a transplanted organ, such as a kidney or the same liver, increases tenfold. To intervene and change the situation requires a titanic effort. This can only be done with the help of immunosuppressive drugs. But there are times when modern medicine, unfortunately, is powerless - the organ does not take root, despite the brilliantly performed operation.
I will give a number of examples of the inconsistency of immunity associated with pregnancy.
To begin with, pregnancy itself is a paradox. How does the immunity of a woman, who initially rejects everything “alien”, “tolerate” for nine months on her territory a half-alien - because of the father's genes - fetus? Moreover, it enables this alien organism to develop! At present, the reasons for this paradox have been revealed: firstly, it is the barrier function of the placenta, which protects the developing fetus from the mother's immunity. Secondly, the natural weakening of immunity in pregnant women, which is the norm in this situation. That is why the use of most drugs that enhance immunity during pregnancy is contraindicated.
However, there are situations when the immune system still attacks the tissues of the fetus. The most striking example is the Rhesus conflict. The point is the following.
On the surface of blood cells - erythrocytes, there may be special substances called the Rh factor. If they are, then the person is considered Rh-positive, if absent - Rh-negative.
When an Rh-negative woman has an Rh-positive child who inherits the Rh factor from her father, the mother's body may not accept it. If we are talking about the first pregnancy, then, as a rule, this does not harm the baby. female body conditionally accepts the fetus as "his".
However, during childbirth, foreign red blood cells with the Rh factor enter the female body for the first time. The immune system remembers what strangers look like, and during the second and each subsequent pregnancy, it can rebel - attack and destroy the blood cells of the fetus. This leads to serious violations of the development of the child, and sometimes to his death. In this case, the immune system is also too active, and there is little good in this. There are even more interesting things - a woman's body does not "accept" sperm. The immune system produces anti-sperm antibodies that simply don't give the male cells a chance to act.
This is called immunological incompatibility of partners. This problem often leads to infertility. A woman cannot give birth without any good reasons: infections, chronic diseases, developmental disorders.
Healthy, but unable to give birth. How so?
It happens. Moreover, immunological incompatibility often occurs not with one partner, but with all members of the stronger sex. The female body simply does not "perceive" the male sex cells as such.
And where does such a “dislike” of women's immunity for men come from?
Nobody knows for sure. There is, apparently, a certain failure in the links of immune regulation.
The situation is similar with autoimmune diseases: rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, ulcerative colitis, antiphospholipid syndrome, etc. All these are paradoxes of the immune system, because the immune system opposes the cells and tissues of its body, which, logically, it should protect.
The struggle of immunity against the “alien” is quite natural. He is called upon to protect his own and prevent the violation of his integrity, so he tries. Of course, sometimes he does it too aggressively, but these actions are explainable and partly understandable. But when the immune system attacks its own cells, it turns into a disaster.
And people with such diseases are doomed?
Of course not. New technologies are emerging, treatment methods are being developed, effective drugs are being created. But, I have to disappoint, so far these are just ways to keep the disease under control. It is impossible to completely get rid of autoimmune diseases today.
The reasons for the aggression of the immune system against its own organism are not completely clear. But it has already been proven that heredity and genetic predisposition matter.
Mutations constantly occur in genes, some of them are beneficial, others are harmful. And if the former are fixed and manifest in subsequent generations, then the latter should be eliminated in the process of evolution. Unfortunately, this does not always happen, medicine is developing, and now we can fight almost any disease, saving a person's life. This means that the breakdown in the genes is fixed in his children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren. Therefore, sadly, the number of autoimmune diseases will only grow.
Paradox. Advances in medicine, new treatment options, and technologies that seem to save the lives of millions turn out to be not so good. We think that we are fighting diseases, but in fact we are only provoking them?
Perhaps, we do not provoke diseases, but we contribute to an increase in the number of people with a hereditary predisposition to them. Human society lives according to the laws of humanism, and medicine, first of all, is called upon to serve people, to save human lives.
If the body is strong, it will cope on its own, if not, then it is at least doomed to suffering. But we are people, and we cannot allow the same people around us to suffer, let alone die. We do everything to save their lives and improve their quality. As a result, the body, receiving help from outside, ceases to fight itself. Biological memory works: having received it once, he continues to hope for help.
The conclusion suggests itself - the more you treat, the weaker the body?
I guess, yes. Another thing is that many diseases - the same autoimmune, allergic, severe viral infections - simply cannot be treated. A person cannot cope with them on his own, we cannot leave him without help. There are already methods to control the Rh conflict, antiphospholipid syndrome, immunological infertility, autoimmune diseases.
But immunity must be treated with utmost attention. For example, you should not immediately take immunopreparations or antibiotics as soon as your nose starts to swell or your temperature rises. In most cases, if we are not talking about chronic diseases, these are the body's natural defensive reactions to danger, so give it the opportunity to fight. Let, figuratively speaking, immunity be trained, it is only to its advantage. But if you take drugs that act on the immune system, then it is better to do this after consulting with a specialist.
Better yet, increase the strength of the body even before the disease, support it fighting qualities whether you are sick or not. After all, for the natural stimulation of immunity, you do not need any expensive drugs, the latest techniques, or the most complicated courses of therapy. Everything is elementary here - physical education, healthy lifestyle life.
I hope that humanity will solve all the mysteries of immunity. And we will learn to live with it in harmony.
Natalia EPIFANOV
Type 1 diabetes occurs when the pancreas is attacked by immune cells. Scientists at the École Polytechnique Federale of Lausanne (EPSL) have discovered what could trigger this attack, opening up new avenues for treatment.
- access_time
Type 1 diabetes is a rare but most aggressive form of diabetes, usually occurring in children and adolescents. The patient's own immune cells begin to attack the cells in the pancreas that secrete insulin, eventually eliminating its production in the body. The immune system attacks certain proteins within the insulin-producing cells. However, it remains unclear how this actually happens. Scientists from the FPSL found that the attack of immune cells in the case of type 1 diabetes may be caused by the release of proteins from the pancreas itself.
Self-destructive signals
Scientists at the Bioengineering Institute, led by Steinunn Baekeskov, have discovered that pancreatic beta cells actually secrete proteins that are attacked by the immune system. But the matter is not only in proteins, but also in other components of the cell. This is about exosomes, a substance that is small vesicles that are secreted by all types of cells to distribute molecules with different functions. But previous research has shown that exosomes can activate the attack of the immune system. Based on this, researchers from the FPSL studied the exosomes of human and animal pancreatic beta cells.
The results made it clear that human and rat pancreatic beta cells secrete three proteins associated with type 1 diabetes and are in fact used by clinicians to diagnose it in humans.
The researchers also discovered why the immune system attacks the pancreas in the first place: when insulin-producing beta cells were stressed, they secreted a large number of exosomes coated with proteins that activate immune processes. These proteins have a strong inflammatory effect and may be involved in the induction of an autoimmune response in diabetes.
It is hoped that this will lead to new directions in the development of more effective methods treatment. Possibly substances will be discovered performing the function of exosomes with molecules-inhibitors of the immune response. These synthetic molecules will inhibit the attack on pancreatic cells.
What is immunity and why do autoimmune diseases develop? What happens when you turn a blind eye to internal conflicts? On the agenda are the principles of the immune system, the causes and mechanisms of autoimmunization, and 6 topical tips on the topic.
The immune system is actually our internal Red Army. Find and destroy. star Wars with many characters and complex but well-coordinated interaction mechanisms. Immunity is a concept that is equal in meaning to combat readiness. There are all sorts different types troops - to fight corruption - with their own defective cells; with an external enemy - bacteria and viruses, archival management and so on - everything is like in a real army.
What can go wrong:
- combat readiness is reduced - frequent infections, tumors;
- the army is hypertrophied and too aggressive - hypersensitivity and allergies;
- shoot at their own - autoimmune diseases.
Let's take a closer look at the last point. Why does the immune system begin to attack its own cells - what are the mechanisms for the development of autoimmune diseases such as diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, endometriosis, psoriasis and others.
Basic mechanisms of autoimmunization
- mixed up
Some micro-organisms are like our own cells, and in the heat of battle, overheated immune cells smash anyone who even looks like the enemy.
The classics of the genre are acute glomerulonephritis (inflammation of the kidneys) or myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle) 2 weeks after a sore throat. That is why doctors almost always prescribe antibiotics to avoid complications.
I must say that immunocytes (cells of the immune system) more or less quickly come to their senses, and the reaction of the immune system of this type after a year is an incident, although everything is individual.
- Altered tissues and cells
The task of the immune system also includes cleaning up the territory and removing all damaged elements, therefore, damaged tissues after infection or injury, radiation also cause an autoimmune reaction. Alas, the wounded are finished off.
- Depressurization or the Tale of Bluebeard
A very interesting mechanism associated with damage to internal boundary barriers. Histohematic barriers (histo-tissue, hemato-blood) are natural insulators between blood and certain tissues and organs. The main function of the barrier is to protect and regulate the activity of the organ due to the selective access of biologically active and nutrients.
High fences surround the thyroid gland, joints, retina, testicles, placenta, brain and others. It is interesting to note that the permeability of all barriers varies and can change - for example, lactate (lactic acid) increases it, and the pleasure hormone serotonin decreases it.
According to this mechanism, for example, autoimmune thyroiditis develops - inflammation of the thyroid gland.
- Enhanced activity of the immune system
Too active stimulation of the immune system (including the abuse of immunostimulants) or impaired coordination between the various parts of the system.
Immune cells recognize their tissues as "foreign" and attack
As a result of the attack of immunocytes on their own cells, inflammation occurs. Its intensity depends on the state of human health, the degree of auto-aggression, the attack option - a deadly fight or a sluggish, undulating process. Autoimmune inflammation has nothing to do with infection—bacteria, fungi, or viruses—so antibiotics won't help. After all, the struggle is with yourself.
Immunological tolerance - a peacekeeping mechanism
I can't get past the phenomenon of immunological tolerance - when the immune system politely tolerates "foreigners" on its territory. It happens naturally: during the selection of cells, overly aggressive soldiers are destroyed. But! The so-called population of "silent lymphocytes" remains in the body - guys who know the enemy by sight, but until the time has come - are silent. With a conditional sign, for example, emotional trauma, rifles will be pulled out, and it will not show enough. Artificial tolerance is the result of external suppression of the immune system - we specifically achieve this in the treatment of steroid hormones (prednisolone) and immunosuppressants (azathioprine) in the treatment of autoimmune disease.
Autoimmune diseases include: inflammation of the thyroid gland - autoimmune thyroiditis, joints - polyarthritis, intestines - Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, kidneys - glomerulonephritis, lupus, bronchial asthma, insulin-dependent diabetes, endometriosis, multiple sclerosis, scleroderma, infertility, prostatitis, migraine and many, many others.
Official medicine has in its arsenal the following types of combat equipment - anti-inflammatory drugs (aspirin, diclofenac and others), steroid hormones (prednisolone) and cytostatic immunosuppressants (azathioprine, remicade). All of them have serious side effects and do not address the true causes of autoimmunization, but in many cases they are effective in slowing down the process and reducing complaints. Despite the fact that the mechanisms of autoimmunity are known, often doctors cannot clearly indicate the cause of the occurrence and eliminate it, so the treatment is aimed at eliminating specific symptoms - pain, changes in the skin and joints, shortness of breath, impaired organ function.
But to treat the effect instead of the cause is to stand on a nail and take painkillers - isn't it easier to try to get off the nail?
6 Practical Tips for Going into Spontaneous Remission - An Improvement That Happened “by Itself”
- Psychosomatic medicine considers autoimmune diseases as a reflection of auto-aggression - anger and guilt towards oneself. Do you think there is a grain of truth in this statement for you? If so, try recording an internal dialogue with the part of you that causes aggression.
Previously, such techniques were cruelly ridiculed, but now we are receiving more and more evidence of their effectiveness. For me, this is the same effective method of treatment as taking a medicine, only safer and more promising - because we are working with the true cause, and not hiding our heads in the sand.
2. Hidden infections - carious teeth, chronic tonsillitis, violation of the intestinal microflora - dysbacteriosis, and so on can constantly "trigger" immune cells and support the process of chronic inflammation.
3. Anti-inflammatory diet - fish, especially northern and seafood, olive and rice oil, butter grape seed, flax seeds and pumpkin seeds, fruit and vegetable juices, apples, red onions, nuts, soy and legumes, tofu cheese, lean meat (sorry, vegetarian) and low-fat milk, greens and whole grains, WATER, green tea and berries, especially blueberries and strawberries.
4. Allergens - today the world filled artificial products– fragrances, household chemicals, GMOs, plastics. With a hyperactive and irritant-sensitive immune system, good results are obtained by switching to natural, “homemade” household chemicals, clothes, organic products without chemical additives.
5. Turn on the body - through physical exercise. They have a really anti-inflammatory effect, improve blood supply and circulation of the interstitial fluid - lymph. Breathe -.
6. Stop being a hostage to stress - it's time to get used to what it is and will be, and start practicing stress management techniques. Why do we need stress and.
A small summary: the immune system is our internal army, for a number of reasons it can rebel and bring us a bunch of serious problems, including autoimmune diseases (according to statistics, 24 million people suffer from them). For treatment and prevention, we can use natural methods of treatment - internal dialogue as a way to resolve auto-aggression, nutrition, movement, cleansing and detox, breathing and stress management.
And be sure to believe in yourself, no matter what happens now. Faith has an extraordinary power that defies logical understanding.
Scientists hope to find the causes of autoimmune diseases at the molecular genetic level.
Reuters photo
The immune system is designed to protect the body. But in some situations, its functioning is disrupted, and immune defense factors become aggressors in relation to the body's own tissues. The treatment of such autoimmune diseases is of great difficulty: the main goal of therapy is a balance between reducing the activity of the immune system against one's own body and maintaining immunity.
One such disease is systemic lupus erythematosus. This is a severe systemic disease. connective tissue which affects various internal organs. The disease has been known since antiquity, and got its name because of the characteristic rash on the bridge of the nose and cheeks, reminiscent of wolf bites. 90% of patients are women aged 20-40 years. In Russia, the number of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus increases annually and is already approaching 80 thousand, and in 40 thousand the disease is steadily progressing and leads to early disability and death.
The cause of lupus is unknown. In developed countries, on average, 3.5 years after diagnosis, 40% of patients are forced to stop working. Patients have lesions of the skin, joints, muscles, mucous membranes, heart, lungs, nervous system more than half have kidney damage. Periods of exacerbation are replaced by remission, but there is also an active, constantly progressive course.
The problems of systemic lupus erythematosus were discussed at a conference held at the Research Institute of Rheumatology of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences in Moscow.
The molecular genetic basis of the disease is poorly understood, so until recently there was no specific treatment. Academician of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences Evgeny Nasonov, director of the Research Institute of Rheumatology of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences, emphasized that the entire arsenal of drugs used in rheumatology is used to treat systemic lupus erythematosus. medicines, including non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, hormones, anti-cell dividing agents, anti-malarial drugs, and even extracorporeal blood purification methods. Most of them are used in systemic lupus erythematosus for off-label indications.
Understanding the need to improve the pharmacotherapy of systemic lupus erythematosus has become an incentive for large-scale clinical trials. various means. And first of all - genetically engineered biological preparations.
Immunological control over pathogenetic mechanisms became possible with the discovery of a molecular pathway, by acting on which it is possible to restrain the development of systemic lupus erythematosus to some extent. This pathway involves a protein called B-lymphocyte stimulator (BLyS), from the tumor necrosis factor family. It was found that the suppression of BLyS allows you to somewhat contain the flared immune system.
The researchers, wanting to specifically block BLyS, relied on a human monoclonal antibody called belimumab. Against the background of its use, a decrease in the overall frequency of exacerbations and severe exacerbations of the disease was observed.
Academician Yevgeny Nasonov noted that in clinical trial monoclonal antibody belimumab was attended by Russian rheumatological centers in Moscow, St. Petersburg and Yaroslavl. Its development is inextricably linked with progress fundamental research in the field of immunopathology of human diseases and is a prime example of the practical implementation of the concept of translational medicine. You can talk about opening new era in the treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus, associated with the beginning of the widespread use of genetically engineered biological agents and the creation of a new class of drugs - BLyS inhibitors, which may have an important therapeutic potential not only in systemic lupus erythematosus, but also in a wide range of human autoimmune diseases.
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