Your Immune System Is Keeping A Secret Diary, And It's Controlling How You Get Sick

If you are the person who ends up regularly in the hospital or doctor's clinic due to infections, then a new study may have discovered why such events may happen. The answer to this severe, constant reaction by your immune system may be because of your genes, the Salk Institute has discovered through its research. Their recent study published in the Nature Genetics journal clearly correlates how the genetic profile that you inherit from your parents and the exact environmental conditions, infections, and vaccination history could be influencing how your immune system functions. To simplify how this happens in your body, you need to figure out how the cells in the body store information and how your environment could be responsible for how sick you may be becoming.

What Is The Secret Diary Being Kept By The Immune System?

In this US-based study, the unique biology of each person determines how well they may recover from an infection. To understand exactly what this means, you need to look at the encoding in your genes that reside in your cells; that is known as epigenetics. And another term that will be key to understanding how your immune system functions is DNA, which is short for deoxyribonucleic acid, which is a molecule found in the cells of all living things. The DNA is the hardware, while epigenetics is the software of your life manual.

The study references the COVID-19 pandemic, as people were affected in varying manners upon exposure to the virus as the strains evolved, and the environments where infection was contracted also differed.

The process of DNA methylation takes place, as per the study, which refers to the ink in the diary of genetics. The DNA is the key that instructs the cells on how to grow, function, and repair themselves, and the exposure to the environment, the vaccines injected into your body, and your unique biology may all be influencing the intensity of the infection and its symptoms.

Also Read: Government Emphasise HPV Vaccination And DNA-Based Screening To Eliminate Cervical Cancer In India

How The Diary Of DNA Is Written

The two main forces that shape your immune system are genes and external factors. The scientists in the study examined four major immune cell types. T cells and B cells are known for retaining long-term immune memory, while monocytes and natural killer cells respond quickly to threats.

By comparing epigenetic patterns across these cells, the team built a compilation of epigenetic markers, also called differentially methylated regions (DMRs), for each immune cell type. Understanding how the dairy of your immune system is shaped depends on the following:

• gDMRs (Inherited): The genetic material passed on from your parents, which forms the foundation of your DNA.
• eDMRs (experience-driven): The "ink" added by possible exposure to viruses like SARS-CoV-2, flu, pesticides, and constant pollution exposure.

While the DNA is distinct for every individual, the primary diaries of the body are the long-time residents known as T-cells. They are the record-keepers of your immune system, like a filing cabinet of all the possible infections and diseases that you may have had over the course of your life.

These T-cells are important as they carry information about how the body behaved when it was exposed to the virus, the duration of the virus in the body, and how your immune system reacted when it was exposed to the virus. Most importantly, they play a role in vaccines, as the body can recognise pathogens based on the above-mentioned information.

While this study was conducted on 110 people with diverse backgrounds. The collected samples reflected a varying range of genetic variation and life exposures, such as:

• Flu, or influenza virus infection, is a contagious respiratory illness caused by influenza viruses.
• HIV-1, or Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1, is the most common strain causing AIDS worldwide.
• MRSA, or methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus, is a drug-resistant bacterial infection often acquired in hospitals or communities.
• MSSA, methicillin-sensitive staphylococcus aureus, which is a non-resistant form of staph infection treatable with methicillin and related antibiotics.
• SARS-CoV-2 infections, which are Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (the virus responsible for COVID-19).
• Anthrax vaccination, also known as Bacillus anthracis Vaccine Exposure, offers immunisation against anthrax, a serious bacterial disease.
• Exposure to organophosphate pesticides, which are toxic pesticides affecting the nervous system.

Also Read: Your Genes Matter More For Lifespan Now Than They Did A Century Ago - Here's Why

A person with a cold
Photo Credit: Freepik

Major Findings Of The Study

There were two major findings that should be taken into consideration to understand how your immune system works. First, is that the specific genes that you inherit may be influenced by the diseases exposed throughout your family tree. This information is stored in your DNA and encoded in the immune cell types. Secondly, when these unique connections are mapped, they can lead to figuring out how cells and molecular pathways may be affected by disease risk genes.

By clubbing these findings, scientists discover how to formulate targeted therapies for effective treatment that is unique to your biology.

Why This Study Matters For Indians

The widespread impact of tropical infections like malaria, dengue, Chikungunya, tuberculosis, and many more can have a significant impact on immune memory. The exact number of the affected population and states varies, and there are seasonal spikes that can lead to an increasing disease load. As per this study, if tailored approaches to treatment could be formulated in the form of therapies based on the unique biology of the patients, then their outcomes could improve, and the load on the health infrastructure could be reduced. Here are some unique ways that the Indian demographic could be influenced as per this study's findings:

• The role of the anti-inflammatory ingredients like turmeric, could function as a diary editor.
• But on the other hand, the constant exposure to air pollution in urban cities acts as an epigenetic trigger.

Can We Rewrite The Diary?

The good news is that epigenetic marks are reversible, but there needs to be persistent and consistent efforts to correct them. People need to follow the right lifestyle habits to make sure that their immune system functions properly, and there are studies that indicate that yoga, getting quality sleep, and clean eating could erase the bad entries in their genetic diary.

In conclusion, taking control of your immune system matters, and you are the one in control of your health. So, focus on ways to optimise your lifestyle to make sure your immune system functions properly.

Disclaimer: This content, including advice, provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for a qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.