Sperm's immune-protection properties could provide link to how cancers spread

New study sheds light on how some cells can evade the human immune system<em> - News Release</em>

Imperial College London News Release

For immediate use
Thursday 13 December 2007

Sugar-based markers on human sperm cells which may prevent them from being attacked by the female immune system could provide a vital clue to how some cancers spread in the human body, according to new research published on 14 December 2007.

The new research, currently available online in the Journal of Biological Chemistry, analysed these markers which are believed to tell the female immune system that the sperm are not dangerous pathogens, and therefore should not be attacked by the woman's white blood cells during the reproductive process. The study, led by Imperial College London and the University of Missouri, suggests that these sugar markers can be universally recognised by all human immune systems, regardless of the individual.

Professor Anne Dell from Imperial College London's Department of Life Sciences, one of the study's lead authors, said: "Normal human cells carry chemical markers made of proteins which tell the immune system not to attack them. In the case of organ transplants, for example, doctors try to match these markers in both the donor and the recipient to prevent rejection. However, in the case of sperm cells, their sugar-based markers are different: they are recognised by everyone's immune system, meaning that no immune response is triggered during reproduction between any two people."

This kind of marker is also found on some types of cancer cells, some bacterial cells, some parasitic worms and HIV infected white blood cells. The scientists believe that these markers allow such dangerous cells and pathogens to evade destruction by the human immune system, leading to serious – sometimes fatal - illness.

Professor Dell explains that understanding how this basic biology works on sperm cells may lead to greater knowledge of how some serious diseases and infections manage to win the battle with the human immune system. She says:

"If aggressive cancers and pathogens are using the same system of universally-recognisable markers to trick the immune system into thinking they're harmless, we need to work out exactly how this interaction works. This is where we're planning to take this research next. Understanding how these markers work at a basic biological and chemical level could lead to new ways to treat or prevent cancers and other diseases in the future."

-Ends-

For more information please contact:

Danielle Reeves
Imperial College London Press Office,
Tel: +44 (0)20 7594 2198
Mob: +44 (0)7803 886248
Email: Danielle.reeves@imperial.ac.uk

Christian Basi
Associate Director, News Bureau
University of Missouri
+1 573-882-4430
BasiC@missouri.edu

Notes to Editors:

1. 'Expression of Bisecting Type and Lewisx/Lewisy Terminated N-Glycans on Human Sperm', The Journal of Biological Chemistry, 14 December 2007.

Poh-Choo Pang‡, Berangere Tissot‡, Erma Z. Drobnis§, Peter Sutovsky¶_, Howard R. Morris‡**, Gary F. Clark¶1, and Anne Dell‡2

From the ‡Division of Molecular Biosciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, United Kingdom, the Divisions of §Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility and ¶Reproductive and Perinatal Research, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Women's Health, School of Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri 65212, the Division of Animal Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri 65202, and **M-SCAN Limited, Wokingham, Berks RG41 2TZ, United Kingdom.

2. About Imperial College London

Rated as the world's fifth best university in the 2007 Times Higher Education Supplement University Rankings, Imperial College London is a science-based institution with a reputation for excellence in teaching and research that attracts over 12,000 students and 6,000 staff of the highest international quality.

Innovative research at the College explores the interface between science, medicine, engineering and management and delivers practical solutions that improve quality of life and the environment - underpinned by a dynamic enterprise culture.

With 66 Fellows of the Royal Society among our current academic staff and distinguished past members of the College including 14 Nobel Laureates and two Fields Medallists, Imperial's contribution to society has been immense. Inventions and innovations include the discovery of penicillin, the development of holography and the foundations of fibre optics. This commitment to the application of our research for the benefit of all continues today with current focuses including interdisciplinary collaborations to tackle climate change and mathematical modelling to predict and control the spread of infectious diseases.

The College's 100 years of living science will be celebrated throughout 2007 with a range of events to mark the Centenary of the signing of Imperial's founding charter on 8 July 1907.

Website: www.imperial.ac.uk