Scientists from McMaster University (Canada) have discovered that the body’s aggressive immune response to pathogens can cause the development of neurological diseases. Research results published In the journal Nature Communications.
It is generally accepted in the scientific community that acute viral infections, such as Zika virus or COVID-19, are the direct cause of the development of neurological diseases. Neurological diseases are pathologies of the central and peripheral nervous system (brain and spinal cord). These include encephalitis, meningitis, malaria, Alzheimer’s disease and multiple sclerosis.
During the research, scientists managed to find that the damage to components of the nervous system was not caused by the viruses themselves, but by a unique population of T cells that are part of the immune system.
Researchers focused on studying the effects of the Zika virus, which is carried by Aedes mosquitoes and causes fever, rash, fatigue, headaches and joint pain in humans. During laboratory studies, scientists discovered that when infected with the Zika virus, the body produces not only T cells associated with the development of adaptive immunity, but also other types of immune cells that can destroy healthy ones.
These are called NKG2D+CD8+ T cells. The body’s associated aggressive immune response involves the production of large amounts of inflammatory proteins called cytokines. In the acute NKG2D + CD8 + T cell response, excessive amounts of these proteins are produced, leading to neurological damage. The occurrence of such reactions in the brain can pose a serious danger.
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