Posted on June 12th, 2009 by Craig Maltby, Editor
The secret life of plants (and their immune systems)
In the human health field, scientifically-controlled research is always in demand. That research can take many forms. The common forms are epidemiological studies (analyzing statistics of large populations); animal models (research involving rats, mice or other species that might approximate the human variables applicable to a certain study); and human trials, which we all know involve people. Many researchers will tell you a randomized, long-term, placebo-controlled study involving a large sample of human participants with frequent time-points is the ideal research model for collecting data.
But what about…get this….plants? Can plants tell us anything about human physiological experiences?
Some recent research is suggesting the “immune systems” of plant can teach us a lot about human immune systems. University of Missouri researchers are looking at overactive immune response in plants, noting that such aggressive immune function can actually damage plants more than it protects them. Sound familiar?
The study is being done so researchers can find ways to create more durable safeguards against pathogens.
This immune balance thing is sprouting up everywhere. Literally.
