Sleep could be the best cure for infection

Sleep has been underestimated as the best cure for the disease, according to researchers working on a new study. The study titled "Gαs receptor-coupled receptor signaling and integrin activation regulating human antigen-specific T-cell sleep" was published this week in the Journal of Experimental Medicine.

German researchers led by Stoyan Dimitrov and Luciana Besedovsky and colleagues from the Institute of Medical Psychology and Behavioral Neurobiology at the University of Tübingen have examined the effects of sleep on the immune system and the effects of sleep deprivation. immunity. They noted that a good night's sleep can help improve the ability of T immune cells to better attach to their targets. These T-cells are like soldiers who attach with foreign microbes and intruders in the body and fight them. This could explain why sleep deprivation and stressors badociated with insomnia increase the risk of illness and affection.

T lymphocytes attack the illustration of cancer cells. Image credit: Shutterstock

The authors of the study explain that T cells first recognize a target that could be a virus or bacteria and then activate "integrins" within them. These are particles or sticky proteins of the Velcro type on the T cells that attach to the infected cell and kill the cell. Studies have shown that signals that can activate integrins on T cells. However, nothing is known about the ability of some signals to reduce the ability of these T cells to adhere to their targets.

Dimitrov and colleagues investigated the effects of sleep and deprivation on the sticky nature of T cells. They focused their research on signaling molecules called "Gαs-coupled receptor agonists," which could regulate activation. of integrin on T cells in humans. Their study showed that sleep can enhance integrin activation induced by suppression of Gαs-coupled receptor signaling. They then used Gαs-coupled receptor agonists such as epinephrine, norepinephrine, prostaglandin (PG) E2, and PGD2 and adenosine. This stimulated the receptor agonists coupled to Ga receptors and, as a result, T cells were unable to activate their integrins and their adhesion to targets decreased. The authors explain that these agents that are agonists of receptors coupled to Gα receptors are normally present in the body during periods of stress and sleep deprivation.

Dimitrov said in a statement: "The levels of these molecules needed to inhibit the activation of integrins are observed in many pathological conditions, such as tumor growth, malaria infection, hypoxia and the stress. This pathway can therefore contribute to the immune suppression badociated with these pathologies. "

Besedovsky concluded: "Our results demonstrate that a sleep loss of a few hours is enough to reduce the adhesion capacity of antigen-specific T cells. This discovery shows that sleep can potentially improve the effectiveness of effector T-cell responses, which is particularly relevant given the high prevalence of sleep disorders and disorders characterized by impaired sleep, such as depression, chronic stress, aging and shift work. "The authors suggest that if the stickiness of T cells could be a therapeutic target, it could probably open avenues of research on cancer immunotherapy.