Immune cells rearrange their “skeleton” to infiltrate the cells lining the liver’s bile ducts. Therefore, an autoimmune disease develops that can lead to cirrhosis. The results of the research were published in the journal Nature Communication.
Primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) is a liver disease in which the immune system attacks the liver’s bile ducts, causing bile stagnation in the liver. This causes damage and injury to the organ and also impairs its function. Symptoms may include fatigue, pain in bones and joints, and pain in the upper right part of the abdomen.
A study of liver tissue from patients in the United Kingdom showed that specialized immune cells, CD8+ T cells, can rearrange the cytoskeleton to penetrate the epithelial layer lining the bile ducts.
Scientists also found that the E-cadherin protein plays an important role in the migration of immune cells. Increased levels of this protein have been found in patients with PBC. This suggests that it could become a drug target in the future.
Biologists before transplanted eyes of mouse liver cells.