Tracking the T-killer

During a viral infection, immune cells control the blood stem cells in the bone marrow and therefore also the body's own defences. These recent findings by Bernese researchers could allow for new forms of therapy, such as for bone marrow diseases.

Researchers at the Department of Medical Oncology at the University of Bern and Bern University Hospital headed by Prof. Adrian Ochsenbein have investigated how the blood stem cells in the bone marrow are regulated by the immune system's so-called T killer cells during a viral infection.

As this regulation mechanism mediated by the immune system also plays an important role in other diseases such as leukaemia, these findings could lead to novel therapeutic approaches. The study is being published in the peer-reviewed journal «Cell Stem Cell» today.

For details: University of Bern Press release 21 February 2014

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