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January 23, 2019

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Scientists say fever is your friend

Local scientists are advising against taking medication to reduce fever, as fevers can help the immune system.

When the body’s temperature is 38.5 degrees Celsius or above, it is better to leave it there, they say. The high temperature will stimulate immune cells to travel faster to the site of infection, according to a report published in the journal Immunity.

Chen Jianfeng and his research team from Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology discovered that a fever of 38.5 degrees or above increases levels of a heat-shock protein, Hsp90, in T cells. The protein binds to receptors, alpha4 integrins, that transport white blood cells to the site of infection.

Chen’s team found that protein production is stimulated within six hours of a person getting a fever. They are now working on fighting infection or slow inflammation during autoimmune reactions by modifying Hsp90 in white blood cells.




 

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