All articles tagged with #immune memory
A decade-long study shows that obesity can leave a persistent “memory” in both fat and immune cells through DNA methylation, sustaining inflammation and higher risk for obesity-related diseases even after weight loss. Maintaining weight loss for about five to ten years may gradually erode this memory, underscoring why relapse is common and highlighting potential therapies such as SGLT2 inhibitors to reverse obesity’s immune effects.
The study reveals that Cas9 can sense CRISPR RNA levels independently of its usual partners, acting as a feedback regulator to enhance spacer acquisition when CRISPR arrays are short, thereby maintaining immune memory in prokaryotes. This activity is conserved across multiple Cas9 orthologs and helps balance immune defense with autoimmunity risks.
A study by investigators at Brigham and Women’s Hospital has revealed that astrocytes, traditionally non-immune cells in the central nervous system, can develop an immune memory, leading to enhanced pro-inflammatory responses upon re-exposure to immune stimuli. This immune memory is driven by an epigenetic mechanism involving the enzymes p300 and ATP-citrate lyase (ACLY). The findings suggest that astrocyte immune memory may play a significant role in chronic neurological disorders such as multiple sclerosis, offering new insights into disease pathology and potential therapeutic targets to mitigate CNS inflammation.