发表在《科学》（Science ）杂志上的一项研究表明，脾可以作为一个大的抗感染单核细胞库用于受损心脏的修复，而人们之前并没有认识到脾的这项功能。

    Spleen Gives Heart a Leg Up

    Poor old spleen, it never got the recognition it deserved. Until now. Scientists had known that the spleen is part of our immune systems. But it was considered expendable, an organ we could live fine without, if we had to, nothing crucial. Now researchers in Boston say that the spleen actually helps mend damaged hearts. The study was published in the July 31st issue of the journal Science.

    They've shown that the spleen is what they call a critical reservoir of monocytes. Those are cells that scientists had previously thought were only found in bone marrow and blood that help fight infection. Scientists discovered these spleen-based monocytes by accident. They were investigating heart damage and found more monocytes at the site of the damage than should have been in the entire circulatory system. Upon investigation, they found the reservoir in the spleen.

    After a heart attack, those monocytes surge out of the spleen. When they reach the heart, they fight infection and are critically important in helping mend the heart tissue. The researchers now want to find out if there are other conditions where spleen-based monocytes are critical. Finally, the Rodney Dangerfield of organs gets some respect.

    研究新发现：脾能帮助修复受损心脏

    可怜的脾脏，直到现在，它从来没有得到它应该得到的认可。科学家们知道脾是我们免疫系统的一部分。在万不得已的情况下，没有脾我们也能活得不错，因此人们过去曾认为脾脏是可有可无的。现在来自波士顿（Boston）的研究者们说，脾实际上能帮助修复受损的心脏。这项研究发表在7月31日的《科学》（Science）杂志上。

    研究发现，脾脏是他们称之为的重要单核细胞库。单核细胞有抗感染的功能，科学家们以前认为单核细胞只存在于骨髓和血液中。科学家们是偶然发现了这些基于脾脏的单核细胞。他们在研究受损心脏的时候，发现在心脏的受损区域有更多的单核细胞，这些受损区域里的单核细胞比在整个循环系统中应该有的单核细胞要多。经过研究，研究者们发现了脾脏中的单核细胞库。

    在发生心脏病之后，这些单核细胞从脾脏中大量释放出来。当它们抵达心脏后，这些单核细胞能抗感染，并且在帮助修复受损心脏组织方面具有非常重要的作用。目前研究者们想弄清楚，基于脾脏的单核细胞是否在其它的情况也很重要。最后，器官中的罗德尼·丹泽菲尔德（Rodney Dangerfield）也得到了应有的尊重。

    Vocabulary:

    Spleen:脾

    Unrecognized:未被认识到的

    Reservoir:水库；（大量的）储备

    Infection:感染

    Monocyte:单核细胞

    Immune:免疫

    Expendable:可消耗的

    Crucial:关键的

    Marrow:骨髓

    Circulatory:循环的

    Surge:急剧上升

    Give sb a leg-up: 帮助，援助