Summary: Nutrition Mushrooms and Immunollgy (3/2008 - HSC4504)
Mushrooms. Not a favorite vegetable in many people’s diets but this study may help change one’s views on this neglected fungi. According to Dayong Wu et al. of Tufts University and USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging, mushrooms have a profound affect on the bone marrow dendritic cells of mice. First things first, what are dendritic cells? These are basically the bomb sniffing dogs and metal detectors of the immune system: so think of the immune system as the airport security and your body is the airport. The immune system is the airport security and these dendritic cells bring the suspicious items to be identified by immune system security B and T lymphocytes so that they can efficiently deal with the situation. So lets back it up real quick: your body has 2 types of immune systems, one that you are born with that uses the same defenses called innate and one that changes, learns and adapts called the adaptive. Innate immune system is the protective fence and the adaptive immune system is the security system and security staff of the body. These scientists took fresh white bulb mushrooms from their local grocery store, froze it then grinded into a concentrate. This mushroom slurry was sterilized then introduced to bone marrow (immature) dendritic cells cultures. The bone marrow is from the femurs and tibias of mice – what is the point of using bone marrow instead of feeding the mice - to increase the causality by ruling out secondary variables between mice and mushrooms. Mushrooms "increases antigen-presenting function of [dendritic cells] as demonstrated by increased T cell proliferation and IL-2 production." How? By getting these dendritic cells to mature quicker. IL-2 is a growth factor and T cell activation are the "indicators of T cell proliferation". IL-12 and IL-2 work hand in hand so prior to treatment, they blocked the IL-12 transport out of cells to isolate the IL-2 levels as it is introduced to the antigen. This study states that as dendritic cells matured, their function of presenting processed antigens increases: as more growth factors influenced the dendritic cells, they functioned better almost like an immune system enzyme for T cell proliferation. Sure, they are just mice but this study infers that humans would benefit just as much. We – eukaryotes, animals, mammals - have evolved from similar environments and have stood the test of time (we’re talking evolution time), chances are that what is good for mice would have similar effects considering all the other inferences drawn from mice studies prior to this discovery. Consider too that "mouse and human genes [are] about 70-90%" genetically similar (Stubbs). Without these dendritic cells, the immune system would have not initial step into identifying what is harmful to you. It is airport security without the baggage and personal searches. So the next time you eat, think of the ubiquitous fungi: antibiotics were derived from them so chances are their cousins could have yield immune system breakthroughs. To good health.
======Sources:======
*Ren, Zhihong; Guo, Zhuyan; Meydani, Simin; Wu, Dayong. ''White Button Mushroom Enhances Maturation of Bone Marrow-Derived Dendritic Cells and Their Antigen Presenting Function in Mice.'' http://jn.nutrition.org.proxy.usf.edu/cgi/content/full/138/3/544
*Stubbs, Lisa. ''Functional and Comparative Genomics Fact Sheet.'' http://www.ornl.gov/sci/techresources/Human_Genome/faq/compgen.shtml
