- Researchers have shown that exercise can strengthen the immune response by increasing the production of immune system cells called lymphocytes.
- White lymphocytes or blood cells are involved in the immune response after infections with bacteria, viruses, and other pathogens.
- These findings were observed in experiments with mice. If applied to humans, these findings could lead to new strategies to increase the immune response in infections and after regular exercise vaccines.
Doctors always recommend exercising regularly, as any type of physical activity is good for the body. While going to the gym and enjoying certain sports during the pandemic can be a challenge, there are many ways to make up for the lack of access. Running, walking and exercising at home are some of the easiest options during the pandemic that would allow anyone to stay active without exposing themselves to other people. And if this new study is correct, the best reason to exercise may be because it can help you overcome infections like COVID-19.
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Researchers at the University of Texas Southwest Medical Center have found that exercise increases the production of immune cells in bones that fight infections. They are lymphocytes, also known as white blood cells (including B and T cells), that are called upon to fight pathogens. Lymphocytes are involved in the immune response to an infection, be it the new coronavirus, a bacterium, or some other type of germ that does not belong in the body.
The researchers showed that exercise stimulates the production of cells that will later participate in the immune response. His study, published in Nature, also offers another notable finding: aging depletes the reserves of lymphocyte progenitors in the bone marrow. An accompanying article a Nature explained the results.
The bone marrow contains various types of stem cells and progenitor cells, which live side by side in so-called niches. The researchers showed that movement can increase the number of progenitors of lymphocytes that come out of the bone and go to the small blood vessels that vascularize the organs.
The following image explains the various components that are next to the arterioles inside the bone. The authors examined the progenitors of bone marrow bone cells that express the proteins leptin receptor (LepR) and osteolectin (Oln).
During exercise, bones are stimulated and a mechanosensitive ion channel called Pizeo1 is activated in LepR + Oln + cells. Then two things happen. Cells sitting side by side begin to differentiate, leading to the formation of new bone cells. In addition, exercise leads to the expression and secretion of a signaling molecule called stem cell factor (SCF), which affects nearby common lymphoid progenitors (CLPs). These CLPs will become lymphocytes.
The researchers created mutant mice that did not have the gene that encoded SCF in their Oln + cells. This did not affect the development of blood cells inside the bone marrow, but it did cause a significant reduction in CLP, which led to fewer lymphocytes willing to fight infections. The authors exposed the mutant mice to a bacterium called Listeria monocytogenes and found that animals that did not have the SCF gene did not eliminate bacteria as efficiently as their controls. The scientists also conducted an independent experiment involving movement. They placed mice in cages with running wheels and found that the operation led to more Oln + and CLP cells in the bone marrow. Mice with Oln + cells expressed the mechanosensitive ion channel protein Piezo1, while mutants had an abnormally low CLP number.
The bottom line is that exercise can stimulate the immune system. In turn, this could lead to a better immune response in infection. If the same conclusions apply to humans, new approaches and protocols could be developed to prevent and treat infectious diseases around exercise.
The authors also found that the number of Oln + and CLP cells was lower in the bone marrow of 18-month-old mice than in 2-month-old animals. All animals were active, indicating that other factors had reduced the expressions of these cells, which could lead to immune system problems. The authors of the supplementary article noted that more research is needed to determine whether exercise can improve bacterial clearance in mice. Another thing that needs to be investigated is whether exercise can increase vaccine responses.
The full study is available at this link and the supplementary article can be found here.
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Chris Smith began writing about gadgets as a hobby, and before he knew it, he was sharing his views on technology issues with readers around the world. Whenever he doesn’t write about gadgets, he can’t get away from them, even though he tries desperately. But this is not necessarily a bad thing.