At WIRED Health, immunologist Daniel Davis detailed the ways in which new technologies are enabling a better understanding of the human immune system.The human immune system, a complex network of cells, tissues, and organs, operates on a scale that scientists are only just beginning to comprehend. This newfound perspective could revolutionize the way we approach diseases such as cancer. At the forefront of this groundbreaking research is Daniel Davis, an immunologist at Imperial College London, who shared his insights at the WIRED Health event on April 16.
Davis and his team are utilizing advanced microscopes to delve into the previously unseen dynamics of the human immune system. They are revealing that numerous processes are occurring on a nanoscale, a level of detail that was previously inaccessible. This fresh perspective is already transforming our understanding of immunity.
“We have discovered something that’s known as the immunological synapse, which is that lots of different protein molecules are known to trigger the immune system,” Davis explained. The advanced microscopes of today are unveiling worlds that were previously unknown. Davis added, “There wasn’t really a hypothesis that led us to that. It was watching things happen under a microscope.”
At this microscopic scale, even the initial moments of contact between cells appear different. Davis described, “When an immune cell sticks to another cell, it’s got to decide if that other cell is healthy or diseased. Small, nanoscale protrusions come out from the immune cell to make that initial contact.”
In partnership with pharmaceutical giant Bristol Myers Squibb, Davis’s lab is investigating how this intricate level of detail can be utilized not just to observe immune responses, but to manipulate them. For instance, after an immune cell has killed a diseased cell, it must detach and move on to attack another. This process is something scientists have only recently been able to observe in detail.
Davis’s team is experimenting with reengineered antibodies—Y-shaped molecules that act as a bridge between immune cells and cancer cells—to amplify the signals that activate those immune cells. By binding to the immune cell and bringing key proteins closer together, these molecules can send a potent signal for the immune cell to activate and destroy the cancer.
This suggests that rearranging molecules on immune cells could enhance their effectiveness at killing target cells, potentially improving how the immune system combats cancer or, in the case of autoimmune diseases, eradicates harmful cells. While this research is still in its early stages, Davis is optimistic that it could eventually lead to treatments that could be tested in patients.
“There are many different kinds of molecules you could tweak the positioning of on the immune cell surface,” he explains. “I don’t have any real idea about which ones would be good to target or not target. At the moment, the strategies place lots of bets.”
Numerous small startup companies are exploring various versions of this type of therapy, each hoping to discover what would trigger a powerful immune response. Davis emphasized that immune health is inherently individual, with the genes that vary most between people being those that control the immune system.
In conclusion, the exploration of the immune system at a nanoscale level is a promising frontier in medical research. As scientists like Davis continue to uncover the intricate dynamics of our immune responses, we move closer to a future where diseases like cancer can be tackled more effectively. This research not only broadens our understanding of the immune system but also opens up new possibilities for therapeutic interventions.