18 May 2022

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UPenn Dental Medicine uncover immune cells’ inflammatory role

Katherine E. Pfaff

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The University of Pennsylvania Penn Dental Medicine school has shared findings from a study on factors impacting inflammation. The research found that immune system memory cells which carry response to past exposure to a virus, bacteria, or other infection are linked to chronic inflammation. 

According to the study, which was a collaboration between Penn Dental Medicine and the Technical University of Dresden, pointed to misguided immune memory cells as a cause of an inflammatory disorder like gum disease. For instance, and ongoing inflammatory condition like arthritis was potentially precipitated by inflammation initiating with gum disease. 

"Although we use periodontitis and arthritis as our model, our findings go beyond these examples," said George Hajishengallis , a professor at Penn Dental Medicine and a corresponding author on the work. "This is in fact a central mechanism – a unifying principle underlying the association between a variety of comorbidities." In the study, participants exposed to inflammatory gum disease via bone marrow transplant were more likely to develop arthritis that was severe.

Researchers also pointed to potential mitigation of such a response with therapies that block inflammatory signals, siuch as the IL-1 receptor. "We've seen anti-IL-1 antibodies used in clinical trials for atherosclerosis with excellent results," saidS Hajishengallis. "It could be that it was in part because it was blocking this maladaptive trained immunity." Additional research projects are planned.

Source: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/penn-dental-medicine-study-shows-how-one-inflammatory-disorder-exacerbates-another-301537165.html