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Researchers find a previously unknown way to selectively activate B cells
B cells produce antibodies against pathogens. Such an immune response can also be triggered by contact with materials that have a specific surface structure. This was discovered by researchers from the Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon, Humboldt University of Berlin, the Berlin Institute of Health at Charité (BIH), and the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE). The findings expand the understanding of how immune cells perceive their environment and open up new possibilities for immunotherapies and biomaterials. The study was recently published in the journal Advanced Science.
B Cells Touch Their Environment
Like tiny guardians of the immune system, B cells move through the human body. When they encounter foreign pathogens, biochemical signals trigger an immune response—the B cells begin to produce antibodies. In medical cell therapy, they can also be specifically activated to produce specific antibodies or other therapeutic agents. In addition, they can help the immune system fight specific diseases such as cancer or autoimmune disorders.
The Berlin research team has now demonstrated that B cells can not only perceive their environment chemically, but also sense it physically. “They respond to mechanical stimuli, rather like a person who not only hears but also feels,” explains Prof. Enrico Klotzsch, principal investigator and researcher at the Hereon Institute of Active Polymers in Teltow and at BIH. “With this discovery, we have deciphered a previously little-noticed communication pathway between cells and their environment.”
The researchers placed the cells on specially fabricated surfaces made of anodized aluminum oxide. This is a type of cell-compatible ceramic produced using an electrochemical etching process. In this process, high-purity aluminum foil is exposed to an electric voltage and acid, causing it to oxidize and form extremely fine pores with a diameter of 250 nanometers on its surface. “Under the microscope, we were able to observe how the small cell sensors penetrated these nanopores. In addition, we measured which signals were triggered inside the cells,” says Dr. Nozie D. Aghaizu, first author of the study and researcher at Humboldt University. This allowed the team to trace, step by step, how a mechanical stimulus triggers an immune response.
Mechanism Also Demonstrated in T Cells
The B-cell study builds on a previous investigation by researchers from Hereon, ETH Zurich, Inselspital Bern, Charité Berlin, and Humboldt University, which focused on the activation of T cells. T cells are also a type of lymphocyte, defense cells of the immune system. But they do not produce antibodies. Instead, they directly fight pathogens or abnormal body cells. The German-Swiss team, also led by Enrico Klotzsch, demonstrated that T cells trigger an immune response when they come into contact with anodized aluminum oxide.
“In both studies, we used the same material as a platform for the cells. A comparison shows that the activation of B cells is weaker and, in some cases, occurs via different signaling pathways than in T cells. Molecules that respond to mechanical forces appear to be particularly important for B cells,” says Enrico Klotzsch.
New Approaches to Medical Treatments
Both studies expand the understanding of how immune cells perceive their environment and to which stimuli they respond. The findings open up new perspectives for medical treatments. In the future, materials that specifically communicate with the immune system could be used instead of chemical drugs. These could be used, for example, in implants or in cancer therapy.
Next, the researchers want to investigate which materials and surface structures are particularly effective and what long-term effects the activation has on immune cells. “Our goal is to better understand the communication between materials and cells and to put that knowledge to use,” says Enrico Klotzsch.
Cutting-edge research for a changing world
The aim of the research at the Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon is to preserve a world worth living in. To this end, approximately 1,000 staff members generate knowledge and explore new technologies to enhance resilience and sustainability – for the benefit of the climate, the coast and people. The path from idea to innovation involves a continuous interplay between experimental studies, modelling and artificial intelligence, culminating in digital twins that replicate the myriad parameters of climate and coastal environments or human biology within a computer. This takes an interdisciplinary approach, bridging the gap between a fundamental scientific understanding of complex systems and practical applications and real-world scenarios. As an active member of national and international research networks and the Helmholtz Association, Hereon supports policymakers, industry and society in shaping a sustainable future by sharing the expertise it has gained.
Prof. Enrico Klotzsch
Professor of Mechanistic Immunology
Hereon-Institute of Active Polymeres
Tel.: +49 3328 352204
E-Mail: enrico.klotzsch@hereon.de
https://advanced.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/advs.76869
https://hereon.de/communication_media/news/121989/index.php.en
This microscopic image shows a B cell 30 minutes after coming into contact with a porous surface. Th ...
Source: Willi Weber, Santiago Kuhl
Copyright: Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon
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This microscopic image shows a B cell 30 minutes after coming into contact with a porous surface. Th ...
Source: Willi Weber, Santiago Kuhl
Copyright: Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon
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