Dendritic Cells Guard Tissue Well-being

When dendritic cells carry a pathogen to the lymph nodes, an immune response is triggered. Dendritic cells essentially present the pathogen to the body's defense system, which becomes activated and attacks the pathogen.

"Previously, it was thought that dendritic cells follow pre-existing trails leading them to the lymph nodes. Now, my new research suggests that dendritic cells also actively create these trails and thereby influence the movement of both their own and other immune defense cells. This opens up new interesting perspectives and possibilities, which hopefully can lead to the development of new drugs and treatments for conditions such as autoimmune diseases," says Alanko, who has studied the human immune system both in Austria and Finland.

The €150,000 Fellow grant received by Alanko is the largest grant awarded by the Instrumentarium Science Foundation.

Dendritic Cells Move in Many Ways

How do cells generally move within human tissues? According to Alanko, they typically use either their adhesive receptors or, alternatively, they slither through the spaces between tissue fibers. Dendritic cells seem to move in both ways, making them excellent guards and messengers.

"Between the cells in human tissues, there is a network-like structure, the extracellular matrix, which dendritic cells can utilize for their movement. In addition to this physical support structure, they can follow signaling molecules bound to the matrix, 'chemoattractants,' and use them to know where to take the pathogens," describes Alanko.

In addition to dendritic cells, it has been shown that some cancers use the same signaling molecules to spread to the lymph nodes. However, how these signaling factors are regulated in the body to ensure effective immune defense has been unclear.

Autoimmune Diseases as a Focus of Interest

Alanko's main research tool is a microscope, which she uses to observe the interaction and movement of different immune cells within the extracellular matrix. The research focuses on both patient samples and genetically manipulated cells. Alanko is particularly interested in type 1 diabetes and the immune cells and extracellular matrix associated with it.

Changes in the extracellular matrix and signaling factors of dendritic cells have been observed in various autoimmune diseases, such as type 1 diabetes, where the immune defense mistakenly attacks its own cells. In the funded research project, Alanko examines the connection between the function of dendritic cells and the altered extracellular matrix, and how this could be modified in the future with various drugs for the treatment or prevention of related diseases.

"I have always been interested in human immunology. After completing my doctoral thesis on extracellular matrix induced cellular signaling, I delved deeper into immunology and dendritic cells during my postdoctoral studies in Austria. In Finland, I have continued working on the same topic at the University of Turku within the InFlames flagship," Alanko continues.

The Instrumentarium Science Foundation previously awarded Alanko a grant for her doctoral thesis.

Establishing Her Own Research Group is Now Possible

Research always requires both expertise and resources. In addition to salary costs and the operating costs of the microscope, a cell biologist also has to pay for many different reagents and other practical expenses.

"With the Fellow grant, I can finally establish my own research group and continue this research also after my InFlames period. With the grant, I can also hire one to two doctoral researchers to support me. Without the grant, this would not have been possible, and in-depth research on this important topic would have been at the very least significantly delayed."

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Text: Kai Tarkka
Photo: Jonna Alanko