来自UCLA的Jonsson癌症中心的科学家们最近发现了一种全新的抗炎细胞信号通路，这或许是保持免疫反应精确平衡的重要机制。
研究结果发表在6月份的《细胞》（Cell）上，UCLA的血液学及肿瘤学教授，文章第一作者Ke Shuai认为，研究成果将带来新的治疗癌症和炎症反应疾病的方法。
Shuai表示：“研究的重要成果在于发现了新的限制炎症和免疫的细胞路径。免疫系统对于对抗病原感染和杀死肿瘤细胞都很重要。这一发现能帮助我们设计新的调节免疫系统的药物。”
Shuai和同事发现了这种PIAS1抗炎路径，这是一种常被广泛的刺激物用来调解免疫系统并且触发炎症的路径。发炎是身体的一种对抗感染的自然防御，但是不平衡的炎症将使人们更易患上癌症等疾病。
PIAS1路径帮助保持免疫系统的健康平衡。当遇到细菌和其它威胁时，重要的免疫调控基因将在细胞核中启动以对抗感染。Shuai和同事则发现，PIAS1能阻止免疫调控基因的产物，以防止产生过度炎症反应。
在发生癌症时，免疫系统能被动员起来杀死癌细胞，这可以帮助研发抗癌疫苗。因此，一种能够减弱PIAS1路径的药物就可以用于增强免疫系统对抗癌症作用。除此之外，这类药物还可以对抗其它重要疾病，例如HIV等。
Shuai的研究小组下一步计划是研究利用小型化学分子来作用于PIAS1信号通路，从而达到治疗癌症和其它疾病的效果。
原文：
Researchers discover novel pathway that may promote immune system balance
Researchers at UCLA’s Jonsson Cancer Center have discovered a novel anti-inflammatory cell signaling pathway that may serve as a vital Yin-Yang mechanism to maintain the delicate balance of immune response.
The discovery, published in the June issue of the peer-reviewed journal Cell, may lead to new ways to fight cancer and inflammatory diseases, said Ke Shuai, a professor of hematology/oncology, a researcher at UCLA’s Jonsson Cancer Center and lead author of the study.
“The big picture message in this study is the finding of a new cellular pathway that operates to restrict inflammation and immunity.” Shuai said. “The immune system is vital in fighting pathogenic infections and can be mobilized to kill tumor cells. This discovery offers a strategy that will allow for the design of drugs to modulate the immune system. It’s a new way to look at drug design.”
Shuai and his colleagues discovered the PIAS1 anti-inflammatory pathway, a pathway commonly used by a wide variety of stimulants that regulate immune system response and trigger inflammation. While inflammation is part of the body's natural defense system against infection, Shuai said, unbalanced inflammation can make people more vulnerable to diseases such as cancer.
The PIAS1 pathway serves as the Yin to the inflammation triggering Yang, working to keep a healthy balance in the immune system. Upon a bacterial or viral challenge to the body, important immune regulatory genes are turned on in the nucleus of cells to fight infections. Shuai and his team discovered that PIAS1 is switched on to block the production of immune regulatory genes, resulting in the prevention of excessive inflammatory responses.
In cancer, the immune system can be mobilized to kill tumor cells, for example, the development of anti-tumor vaccines. In this case, a drug deactivating the PIAS1 pathway could be developed to boost the immune system to fight cancer. In addition, such a drug may be potentially useful for combating viral diseases such as HIV, Shuai said.
Shuai’s research team next plans to investigate strategies such as using small chemical molecules that can target the PIAS1 signaling pathway for the treatment of cancer and other inflammatory disorders.
