New research suggests that the immune system of mammals might struggle to respond to germs from other planets. The collaborative study between the University of Aberdeen and Exeter was published in Microorganisms.
"The world is now only too aware of the immune challenge posed by the emergence of brand new pathogens," said co-author Neil Gow. "As a thought experiment, we wondered what would happen if we were to be exposed to a microorganism that had been retrieved from another planet or moon where life had evolved.
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After studying how CD8+ T cells behaved in the presence of isovaline and α-aminoisobutyric acid—two amino acids commonly found on meteorites—researchers found that their response was less efficient, with activation levels of 15% and 61%—compared to 82% and 91% when exposed to peptides commonly found on Earth. Their results also demonstrated that antigen cleavage, processing and subsequent T-cell activation still occurred.
"Our investigation showed that these exo-peptides were still processed, and T cells were still activated, but these responses were less efficient than for ordinary Earth peptides,” lead author Katja Schaefer adds. "We therefore speculate that contact with extra-terrestrial microorganisms might pose an immunological risk for space missions aiming to retrieve organisms from exoplanets and moons."