A bacterium found in various parts of the stomach ensures its survival by manipulating our immune system cells, a discovery that could open the way to more effective treatment against the bug.
About half of the world's population carries the bacterium Helicobacter pylori. Most infected individuals never experience any symptoms, but around 10 percent get peptic ulcers and around one percent develop stomach cancer.
"Carriers were often infected as children and if not treated with antibiotics, the bacterium remains in the body for life. The immune system alone is unable to eliminate the bacterium, and now we understand better why," says biologist Bert Kindlund of Sahlgrenska Academy, Sweden and the author of the thesis.
The study shows that certain types of cells in the immune system called regulatory T cells down-regulate the body's defence against H. pylori and thereby enable the bacterium to develop a chronic infection, said a Sahlgrenska Academy release.
"If we could control the regulatory T cells, we could strengthen the immune system and help the body eliminate the bacterium. This could be a new treatment strategy against Helicobacter pylori," Kindlund said.