Wild Scottish sheep could help explain differences in immunity
By Linda on Dec 4, 2010 in F.I.G.H.T. | comments(0)
Link: http://www.vetscite.org/publish/items/006234/index.html
Excerpt:
An 11-year study of a population of wild sheep located on a
remote island off the coast of Scotland that gauged the animals’
susceptibility to infection may give new insight into why some
people get sicker than others when exposed to the same illness.
The answer to this medical puzzle may lie in deep-rooted
differences in how animals survive and reproduce in the wild,
according to the study, which was led by Princeton ecologist
Andrea Graham and published in the Oct. 29 issue of Science. The
research revealed that the sheep population over time has
maintained a balance of those with weaker and stronger levels of
immunity and fertility. “This is a groundbreaking study that to
my mind will change our whole understanding of the
immunoheterogenity in animal populations,” said Peter Hudson, the
Willaman Professor of Biology and director of life sciences at
Penn State University. “Graham and colleagues show beautifully
the tradeoffs in the immune system as a balance… that maximizes
reproductive output.”
