Scientists identify new immune structures inside the skull

Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, USA, have identified previously unknown immune structures inside the skulls of mice. The scientists have called them “localized lymphoid structures.” The findings were published in the journal Nature.

The researchers found that these structures may be linked to the activity of B cells in the immune system. They had previously discovered tiny channels running from the meninges to the skull, and in the new study observed a connection between molecules and immune structures through these channels.

The scientists conducted experiments on mice with glioma to study the function of the new structures. When the activity of the immune structures was suppressed, the tumors developed more rapidly; conversely, stimulating them strengthened the mice’s immune response against the tumors and extended their survival.

It has not yet been definitively confirmed that such structures also exist in the human skull. However, the scientists note that some immune cells have been identified in human skull bone marrow, and say the discovery could help develop new methods for treating brain tumors in the future.