Extraterrestrial microorganisms can cause immunological problems
Researchers say that microorganisms of extraterrestrial origin could cause many immunological concerns. A recent study by a team of researchers from the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Germany published an article on that recently in the Microorganisms magazine. The results suggest that extraterrestrial microorganisms recovered during space missions have a potential immune risk for humans and, therefore, for astronauts in the first line. In fact, according to the researchers, it has been shown that the cell immune reaction of mammals against peptides commonly observed in carboneous meteorites is weak compared to the same responses to the peptides found on Earth. .
Problematic extraterrestrial amino acids
On Earth, the engineering of living beings revolves essentially around 22 types of amino acids. Amino acids quite different from those found in the solar ecosystem. In fact, quite a lot of sugars and ‘unusual’ amino acids have been found in carbon meteorites. Researchers specify that the peptides identified in these meteorites essentially include two amino acids, including isovaline and α-aminoismobutyric acid. Two amino acids that are not often found in terrestrial organisms, especially mammals, including humans. One thing leads to another, this suggests that protein antigens contained in microorganisms of extraterrestrial origin are probably also composed of these rare amino acids. What would not benefit us at all.
How do human immune cells react?
For more information, the researchers carried out a study in mice and inoculated them with isovalina and α-aminoisobutírico acid. As a result, they found a weak reaction of T immune cells to these two amino acids.
In a nutshell, the cellular response has been less efficient than when T cells are subject to antigens composed mainly of exclusive amino acids of our earthly ecosystem. In fact, cell activation levels for immunity were 15% and 61% against 82% and 91% for amino acids of terrestrial origin. And the same result was observed during an experiment conducted with another mammal.
Scientists tried to see if the latter’s immune system could recognize ‘chemically synthesized exotptides’. Then they found that the T lymphocytes recognized these exopeptides were activated, but with a low efficiency response than that of common peptides on Earth. Something that makes us seriously think about what awaits us in space and other worlds.
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