T-cell immunity

2024: The Russian Federation has created a digital model of the main organ of the immune system to combat HIV and aging

Russia has developed a digital model of the thymus gland, known as the thymus, which plays a key role in the human immune system. This breakthrough will significantly improve treatments for HIV infection and slow down aging processes. This became known in early June 2024.

The development, carried out by scientists from Sechenov University and the Institute of Computational Mathematics of the Russian Academy of Sciences, is an exact mathematical copy of the thymus, capable of modeling its activity under various conditions.

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As the developers noted, the thymus, located at the top of the chest, is responsible for the production and "training" of T lymphocytes - cells that protect the body from infections by recognizing and destroying foreign agents. These cells form in the bone marrow, then enter the thymus, where they undergo stages of maturation and learning. It is in this organ that T lymphocytes acquire the ability to respond to antigens, which is critical for an effective immune response.

According to scientists, the thymus is most active in childhood, then its activity decreases. The work of the thymus is also influenced by various drugs and pathologies. The created model allows you to simulate these processes and predict their further development, which opens up new opportunities for medicine.

The model was developed using data published in the scientific literature and algorithms to reliably predict the behavior of a biological system. As Kirill Peskov, head of the Center for Mathematical Modeling in Drug Development at Sechenov University, noted, the model reflects the maturation sequence of immune T cells and the structure of the thymus.

The model we created is an analytical platform for predicting the effect of drugs on thymic function in various pathological conditions. For example, with the help of the program, we simulated the effect on the thymus gland of the drug fingolimod and received an explanation why some patients have a reduced risk of recurrent disease when the therapy is canceled, "explained Victoria Kulesh, a junior researcher at the Center.

Kulesh stressed that the digital model of the thymus can become the basis for building digital twins that integrate data and medical history of a particular patient. This will allow us to implement the principles of personalized medicine, timely identify possible negative consequences for the thymus when taking various drugs and reduce the cost of conducting preclinical studies.^[1]

2021: Introduction of testing for detection of T-cell immunity to SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus

On April 8, 2021, it became known about the introduction of testing for patients to determine the T-cell immune status in relation to certain antigens of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus.

The analysis allows you to assess the state of immunity in relation to the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus in those patients whose blood does not detect antibodies (IgG).

First of all, the test is intended for patients who have already been vaccinated and want to assess the effectiveness of the immune response, as well as for those who have received negative tests for COVID-19, but experience characteristic symptoms of a viral disease. This test will also allow patients who have had the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus to determine the level of class G antibodies (IgG).

The study is carried out by the ELISPOT method, which allows you to detect active T-cells in the human body, responsible for the strength of the immune response to infection. ELISPOT technology was first used by Oxford Immunotec to diagnose infections prone to long-term and latent flow, and has already proven effective in making a diagnosis regardless of a person's immune status.

See also

• Regulatory T cells

• Antibodies and immunity to coronavirus COVID-19
• COVID-19 coronavirus tests
• COVID-19 antibody tests