This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies. Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: A previously unknown population of immune cells in chickens has been discovered by researchers from the University of Bristol Veterinary School in collaboration with The Pirbright Institute. The finding could help transform the way poultry vaccines are developed.
The study, published in the European Journal of Immunology, is the first to identify and characterize lipid-reactive natural killer T (NKT)-like cells in birds. The discovery could open new opportunities for effective disease protection across poultry flocks. NKT cells are a special type of immune cell that help the body respond quickly to infection while also helping to build longer-term protection.
It is already known that mammals, including humans, have these cells, but until now it was unclear whether chickens did too. In this study, researchers discovered a population of chicken immune cells that behaves in a similar way. They found when chicken immune cells detect a potential threat, they produce and display a naturally occurring fat molecule called GM3 and release chemical signals that act as an alarm.
The newly discovered NKT-like cells are activated only when they receive both signals: they recognize the GM3 molecule and detect the alarm signals. Once activated, these newly discovered immune cells quickly help coordinate the chicken's defense against disease. They release signaling molecules that call other immune cells to the site of infection, helping the body tackle harmful bacteria such as Salmonella and E. coli.
They can also directly destroy virus-infected or damaged cells, giving them a dual role in both organizing and carrying out the immune response. This is the first clear evidence that chickens have NKT-like cells that respond to fat-based molecules. The discovery improves researchers' understanding of how the chicken immune system works and could help in the design of more effective vaccines that provide stronger and more consistent protection against disease in poultry flocks.
Shahriar Behboudi, professor of immunology in the Bristol Veterinary School and senior author of the study, said, "Our study provides the first clear evidence that chickens have specialized immune cells that can recognize certain fat molecules and respond rapidly to infection. The discovery changes our understanding of how the avian immune system works and highlights a promising new route for vaccine development." Nitin Kamble, a postdoctoral researcher at The Pirbright Institute and co-author on the paper, added, "Because the immune pathway involved is shared across different breeds of poultry, it could provide a universal target for vaccines that work consistently across entire flocks. By combining vaccines with lipid-based ingredients such as GM3, we might be able to stimulate multiple parts of the immune system at the same time, leading to stronger and more reliable protection.
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