How a simple amino acid could shape immune response (Asparagine helps antibodies)

Medical Xpress / University of Oxford / Science Immunology ^ | Jan. 3, 2025 | Yavuz F. Yazicioglu et al

[ConservativeMind]

A study conducted by researchers has uncovered a pivotal role of asparagine metabolism in regulating B cell homeostasis and immune response.

Germinal center (GC) B cells are responsible for producing antibodies. The cells have some of the highest proliferation rates of all mammalian cells, yet their metabolism is unusual and incompletely understood, so a team from the Kennedy Institute and collaborators set out to understand more.

The findings identify the non-essential amino acid asparagine as a critical regulator of germinal center (GC) B cell function, structures critical for refining antibodies to target infections effectively.

"When asparagine is scarce, B cells struggle, leading to weakened GC B cell function," said Yavuz Yazicioglu, KTPS

Reducing asparagine levels through diet or an asparagine-depleting drug, Asparaginase, weakened GC B cell function, leading to lower-quality antibody generation during flu infection, particularly from the cells with a defective capacity to produce asparagine.

"We found when B cells were deprived of asparagine, they had reduced mitochondrial activity and building blocks such as nucleotides, suggesting asparagine sustains important metabolic processes in B cells," said Alex Clarke.

Clarke further commented on the significance of their findings, saying, "Our work highlights asparagine metabolism as a metabolic vulnerability in B cells that can be targeted to tackle diseases such as autoimmunity or malignancies with abnormal B cell immune responses."

[ConservativeMind]

Asparagine is common in meat, dairy, and eggs.

[ConservativeMind]

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[Farmerbob]

[...meat, dairy, and eggs.]

All the things the government says is bad for us. It’s almost like they want us to die.

[9YearLurker]

Bill Gates might want all research on amino acids to be censored.