McGill scientists find certain T cells sense environmental stiffness
Technology
Turns out, our immune cells are even smarter than we thought.
Scientists at McGill University discovered that certain T cells don't just react to chemical signals; they can actually "feel" how stiff their surroundings are.
This new information could change how we understand memory cells and why they last so long.
Judith Mandl: sensing could guide immunotherapies
This finding could lead to better treatments for tough-to-treat cancers and autoimmune diseases.
As researcher Judith Mandl explains, knowing how T cells sense their environment might help us design immunotherapies that work even when tumors are very dense.
The team's next step is to figure out exactly how these cells pick up on physical cues, a move that could open up all kinds of new ways to boost our immune defenses.