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A good night's sleep can really be the best medicine.
Scientists have discovered that sleep improves the ability of immune cells to reach their targets and fight infections.
The study suggests that if sleep helps strengthen immune defenses, chronic stress can make it more vulnerable to disease.
The German team has studied sticky proteins, called integrins, which are released by T cells, a key component of the immune system.
Integrins allow T cells to bind to a target, such as a cell infected with a dangerous virus, and kill it.
T lymphocytes taken from dormant volunteers showed significantly higher integrin activation levels than those in the study who remained awake all night, the researchers said.
It is thought that the different answer is related to the levels of the hormones adrenaline and prostaglandin during sleep.
Tests have shown that both hormones inhibit the activation of integrin.
Luciana Besedovsky, a member of the Tübingen University team, said: "Our results show that sleep can improve the efficacy of T cell responses, which is particularly relevant given the high prevalence of sleep disorders. sleep and conditions characterized by impaired sleep, such as depression, chronic stress, aging and shift work. "
Several researchers have stated that several hormones, including those that inhibit the activation of integrins, are badociated with cancer, malaria infection, hypoxia (lack of oxygen), and high blood pressure. stress.
Dr. Stoyan Dimitrov, co-head of the study, also from the University of Tübingen, said: "This pathway could therefore contribute to the immune suppression badociated with these pathologies."
The study, published in the Journal of Experimental Medicine, could help develop new therapies to improve the fighting ability of T cells, according to the researchers.
This could be particularly useful in forms of cancer immunotherapy that involve inducing T cells to target and destroy tumor cells, they said.
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