News Desk |
Mammals, including humans, possess two intestines — the small and the large — as part of their digestive system. These intestines together make up the lower gastrointestinal tract, and they play a crucial role in digestion and excretion.
In the lower gastrointestinal tract, partially digested food from the stomach is broken down further into its constituent nutrients, which then pass into the bloodstream through the intestinal wall, so that they can reach different organs and parts of the body.
At the same time, however, the intestinal wall prevents most harmful agents from passing through and infecting the blood. But how does it happen? This is the question that researchers from the Rockefeller University in New York, NY, have tried to answer by conducting a preliminary study in mice.
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The research — the findings of which appear in the journal Nature — reveals an essential distinction in the structure and organization of the intestinal immune system, which makes certain parts of the intestines more likely to mount an immune response against pathogens (harmful agents) than other parts.
The current revelations could pave the way to enhance the effectiveness of oral vaccines, which, so far, have been unable to generate strong enough immune responses.
After considering the findings of the present study, its authors believe that oral vaccines may be ineffective because their active ingredients engage with immune system elements in the small intestine, which are unable to mount a robust immune response.
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“In theory, targeting the distant end of the intestine could be more efficient in inducing the immune response required,” notes Mucida, adding that, “[i]f we harness the right region of the gut, we might see some vaccines work that have previously failed.”