Macrophages Identified As Key Bacterial Sensors, Boosting Vaccine Potential
A team of Australian scientists has revealed how human immune cells sense bacterial invaders, a discovery that could transform vaccine design and immune therapies. At the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, researchers found that macrophages—the body’s pathogen-engulfing cells—function as messengers that alert the immune system to bacterial threats.
Deng Jieru, who led the study and conducted postdoctoral research at the Doherty Institute, explained that macrophages carry the highest concentration of MR1, a molecule that captures chemical signals from bacteria and presents them to MAIT cells, specialized immune cells capable of mounting rapid defenses. “Using fluorescent chemical markers, we showed macrophages are highly efficient at detecting bacterial messages and mobilizing MAIT cells to respond,” Deng said.
The research, published in Science, emphasizes that decoding this macrophage-MAIT cell communication pathway could lead to novel vaccines and targeted therapies, offering new hope for combating infections while preserving the body’s beneficial microbiota.
