The immune system is our major tool to prevent infections caused by microorganism. In normal circumstances the exposure to a diverse number of microorganisms will determine how well the immune system is trained to differentiate harmless microorganisms from the pathogenic ones. The recent advances in hygiene and control of infectious diseases, such as vaccines, have successfully reduced the incidence of these pathologies.
However, we have also seen the rise of immune-related disorders such as allergies and autoimmunity, with huge impacts on our societies and the health systems. Thus, it has been hypothesized that cleaner environments lacking interactions with environmental microorganisms impair the proper development of our immune system.
Although the idea that biodiverse environments will be beneficial for the immune development might have popular recognition and validation, the cellular and molecular mechanisms by which these interactions are positive remains unclear. Indeed, some intervention studies with humans have shed light on these effects by showing immunomodulatory properties of bio-diverse material, but details on the potential mechanisms have not been fully understood.
In his doctoral dissertation, Martín González-Rodríguez investigated the role of biodiverse material on the immune system and how allergic signals are sensed.
“There is more and more evidence that microorganisms, especially those part of our microbiome, have deep impact on health and diseases controlling the function of diverse organs from the gastrointestinal track to the brain. Understanding how microorganisms can shape the function of the immune system is key to develop better and more efficient therapeutic strategies in the context of inflammatory disorders”, says González-Rodríguez
His studies provided evidence on some of the key chemical and cellular responders to the exposure to environmental microbes and how one of these signals could be sensed by the immune system. These discoveries open the opportunity to develop strategies in which modulation of the immune response can be done by natural exposure to environmental materials.
“Although a lot is yet to be understood from the interactions of the environmental microorganisms with the immune system, our results represent an important starting point for future research approaches to modulate the immune system not only in allergies and autoimmunity, but in other areas such as vaccine development”.
Martín González-Rodríguez is originally from Chile and did his MSc. Studies in The Netherlands before moving to Finland for his PhD degree. Currently he works at the Cytokine Biology and the Virology and Vaccine Immunology groups from the Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology at Tampere University.
Public defence on Friday 17 January
The doctoral dissertation of MSc. Martín González-Rodríguez in the field of immunology titled Keeping the balance: How the immune system is shaped by environmental microbes and the allergic signals sensed will be publicly examined at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology at Tampere University at 12 o’clock on Friday 17 January at Kauppi Campus, Arvo Building, Yellow Hall (Arvo Ylpön katu 34). The Opponent will be Professor Outi Vaarala from the University of Helsinki. The Custos will be docent Ilkka Junttila from Tampere University.