PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Immunological face of megakaryocytes

Immunological face of megakaryocytes
2025-01-17
(Press-News.org)

Megakaryocytes (MKs), known for their role in platelet production, have emerged as critical players in immune responses, showcasing versatility in both physiological and pathological contexts. Recent advances in technology have unveiled the diverse immune functions of MKs, which express immune sensors and participate in immune activities, thus expanding their traditional role beyond hemostasis and coagulation. This comprehensive review delves into the multifaceted immune roles of MKs, highlighting their distinct immunological roles under inflammatory conditions and their interactions with the immune system.

MKs exhibit cellular diversity, with subpopulations such as platelet-generating MKs, HSC niche MKs, and immune MKs, each with unique functional attributes. HSC niche MKs modulate HSC quiescence and proliferation, while immune MKs engage in immune responses. The review emphasizes the expression of immune receptors by MKs, such as toll-like receptors (TLRs), Fc gamma receptors (FcγRs), and CD40L, which enable them to detect pathogens and participate in innate and adaptive immunity. MKs also phagocytose fungi and bacteria, and can present antigens, suggesting their active role in immune surveillance.

Communication between MKs and other immune cells is a key aspect of their immune function. MKs secrete cytokines that influence B cell and plasma cell development, and they release microparticles that transport bioactive molecules, contributing to inflammation. The tissue-specific localization of MKs, such as in the lungs and spleen, shapes their immunological roles, with extramedullary MKs playing a role in immune surveillance and response.

In the context of inflammation, MKs serve as antiviral defenders and inflammation facilitators. They secrete interferons and upregulate IFN-induced transmembrane protein 3 (IFITM3), restricting viral entry and replication. However, an increased number of MKs correlates with disease severity in conditions like COVID-19, where they are associated with elevated cytokines and multiorgan injury. The dual role of MKs in viral infections underscores the balance between protective and pathogenic immune responses.

MKs also combat bacterial infections, with their numbers increasing in circulation during sepsis. They engage with bacteria both indirectly, through the release of pro-inflammatory platelets, and directly, through phagocytosis and the release of chromatin webs. The heterogeneity of MKs is further highlighted by the identification of an "immune MK" subpopulation, characterized by unique surface markers and gene expression profiles. This subpopulation is conserved across species, developmental stages, and tissues, and is involved in pathogen recognition, phagocytosis, and antigen presentation.

The review concludes by outlining future directions for "immune MK" research, including the exploration of the immune properties of platelets in relation to MK heterogeneity and the developmental origins of "immune MKs." The potential for "immune MKs" to influence disease outcomes and their interaction with other immune cells under various conditions is a promising area for future investigation. This review provides a thorough overview of the immunological face of megakaryocytes, emphasizing their complex and evolving role in immune responses and disease pathogenesis.

END


[Attachments] See images for this press release:
Immunological face of megakaryocytes

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Calorie labelling leads to modest reductions in selection and consumption

2025-01-17
A new Cochrane review has found that calorie labelling of food on menus and products leads people to choose slightly fewer calories.  The research team, led by scientists from UCL, Bath Spa University, the University of Cambridge and the University of Oxford, examined evidence from 25 studies on the impact of calorie labelling on food selection and consumption. They found that calorie labels in supermarkets, restaurants and other food outlets led to a small reduction in the calories people selected and purchased. The average reduction was 1.8%, which would equate ...

The effectiveness of intradialytic parenteral nutrition with ENEFLUID???? infusion

The effectiveness of intradialytic parenteral nutrition with ENEFLUID???? infusion
2025-01-17
Niigata and Tokyo, Japan - In recent years, advancements in dialysis therapy and the growing number of elderly patients starting dialysis have contributed to the aging of the overall dialysis population. Consequently, malnutrition-related conditions such as sarcopenia, frailty, and protein energy wasting (PEW) have become significant issues for dialysis patients. Nutritional interventions, including nutritional counseling, oral supplements, and intradialytic parenteral nutrition (IDPN), are recommended to address these challenges. On dialysis days, patients tend to consume less ...

New study reveals AI’s transformative impact on ICU care with smarter predictions and transparent insights

2025-01-17
New INFORMS Information Systems Research Study Key Takeaways: The AI model achieves approximately 90% classification precision in predicting ICU length of stay, enabling hospitals to more effectively optimize resource management. Clear, evidence-based explanations provided by the model empower ICU doctors to make better-informed decisions regarding patient care. Real-world testing with ICU clinicians demonstrated the model’s potential to enhance care efficiency, reduce hospital costs and improve patient outcomes.   BALTIMORE, MD, January 16, 2025 – Intensive care units (ICUs) face mounting pressure to effectively manage resources while delivering ...

Snakes in potted olive trees ‘tip of the iceberg’ of ornamental plant trade hazards

Snakes in potted olive trees ‘tip of the iceberg’ of ornamental plant trade hazards
2025-01-17
Continental European snakes, geckos and Italian wall lizards are making their way to northern Europe undetected among imports of ornamental olive trees destined for gardens and green spaces.  These hitchhiking intruders can become invasive pests that cause extensive damage to the natural environment - as has happened in previously snake-free islands of the Mediterranean like Majorca. They’re also a red flag for a bigger problem: the range of potentially serious agricultural and environmental pests being unwittingly imported to Britain and ...

Climate change driving ‘cost-of-living' squeeze in lizards

Climate change driving ‘cost-of-living squeeze in lizards
2025-01-16
Desert lizards are facing a ‘cost-of-living’ squeeze as global temperatures continue to rise, a new study finds.   For a lizard, the 'cost-of-living' is tightly linked to its body temperature, which dictates both how much food it needs and whether it can go outside to feed. Desert lizards are especially challenged because food is sparse, and it is often too hot to forage.   Published today in Science, the study found climate warming can ‘squeeze’ desert lizard energy budgets by increasing the food they need just ...

Stem Cell Reports seeks applications for its Early Career Scientist Editorial Board

Stem Cell Reports seeks applications for its Early Career Scientist Editorial Board
2025-01-16
Stem Cell Reports, the peer-reviewed, open access, online journal of the International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) is seeking highly motivated and accomplished early career scientists to join the Early Career Scientist Editorial Board (ECEB). This group of distinguished early career scientists will have the opportunity to: Advise on journal content and programming such as special Issues, podcast content, and other initiatives, Receive mentoring from associate editors, Attend the annual editorial board meeting Build their professional network and connections, and Serve as an ambassador ...

‘Brand new physics’ for next generation spintronics

‘Brand new physics’ for next generation spintronics
2025-01-16
Our data-driven world demands more—more capacity, more efficiency, more computing power. To meet society’s insatiable need for electronic speed, physicists have been pushing the burgeoning field of spintronics. Traditional electronics use the charge of electrons to encode, store and transmit information. Spintronic devices utilize both the charge and spin-orientation of electrons. By assigning a value to electron spin (up=0 and down=1), spintronic devices offer ultra-fast, energy-efficient platforms. To develop viable spintronics, physicists must understand the quantum properties ...

Pacific Islander teens assert identity through language

Pacific Islander teens assert identity through language
2025-01-16
The kids and grandkids of immigrants to the United States usually lose the ability to speak their heritage language fluently. Without access to the heritage language, second- and third-generation Americans may use distinct words and pronunciations in the dominant language, English, to assert their ethnic identities and connect to their communities. Sociolinguists have long viewed these shifts as markers of cultural change. Like differences in food, clothing and religion, differences in language are subtle ways that groups distinguish themselves along ethnic boundaries. Recent work has pivoted from asking what are the differences to why are there differences? How are they using language to carve ...

White House honors Tufts economist

White House honors Tufts economist
2025-01-16
Tufts Unvisity Assistant Professor Elizabeth Setren in the Department of Economics at the School of Arts and Sciences has received a Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE) from President Joe Biden. PECASE recognition is the highest honor given by the U.S. government for outstanding scientists and engineers who are early in their careers This year’s awardees are employed or funded by 14 governmental agencies. In Setren’s case, her recognition comes from the Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences, and ...

Sharp drop in mortality after 41 weeks of pregnancy

Sharp drop in mortality after 41 weeks of pregnancy
2025-01-16
The proportion of babies dying before and during labor after 41 weeks of gestation has fallen by 47% in Sweden in a relatively short time. This is the result of a major national study. The reduction has occurred since the procedures around induction have changed. A pregnancy normally lasts around 40 weeks. However, a fairly high proportion of women, 22%, pass their due date and are pregnant for 41 weeks or longer. Although Sweden generally has a very low risk of stillbirth and death within the first month of life, the risk increases the longer the pregnancy continues ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Tracing gas adsorption on “crowns” of platinum and gold connected by nanotunnels

Rare bird skull from the age of dinosaurs helps illuminate avian evolution

Researchers find high levels of the industrial chemical BTMPS in fentanyl

Decoding fat tissue

Solar and electric-powered homes feel the effects of blackouts differently, according to new research from Stevens

Metal ion implantation and laser direct writing dance together: constructing never-fading physical colors on lithium niobate crystals

High-frequency enhanced ultrafast compressed photography technology (H-CAP) allows microscopic ultrafast movie to appear at a glance

Single-beam optical trap-based surface-enhanced raman scattering optofluidic molecular fingerprint spectroscopy detection system

Removing large brain artery clot, chased with clot-buster shot may improve stroke outcomes

A highly sensitive laser gas sensor based on a four-prong quartz tuning fork

Generation of Terahertz complex vector light fields on a metasurface driven by surface waves

Clot-busting meds may be effective up to 24 hours after initial stroke symptoms

Texas Tech Lab plays key role in potential new pathway to fight viruses

Multi-photon bionic skin realizes high-precision haptic visualization for reconstructive perception

Mitochondria may hold the key to curing diabetes

Researchers explore ketogenic diet’s effects on bipolar disorder among teenagers, young adults

From muscle to memory: new research uses clues from the body to understand signaling in the brain

New study uncovers key differences in allosteric regulation of cAMP receptor proteins in bacteria

Co-located cell types help drive aggressive brain tumors

Social media's double-edged sword: New study links both active and passive use to rising loneliness

An unexpected mechanism regulates the immune response during parasitic infections

Scientists enhance understanding of dinoflagellate cyst dormancy

PREPSOIL promotes soil literacy through education

nTIDE February 2025 Jobs Report: Labor force participation rate for people with disabilities hits an all-time high

Temperamental stars are distorting our view of distant planets

DOE’s Office of Science is now Accepting Applications for Office of Science Graduate Student Research Awards

Twenty years on, biodiversity struggles to take root in restored wetlands

Do embedded counseling services in veterinary education work? A new study says “yes.”

Discovery of unexpected collagen structure could ‘reshape biomedical research’

Changes in US primary care access and capabilities during the COVID-19 pandemic

[Press-News.org] Immunological face of megakaryocytes