Researchers at Cornell have identified a key switch that regulates inflammation in immune responses, offering potential for treating various inflammatory conditions.
- Researchers at Cornell have identified a switch that regulates inflammation caused by an immune response, potentially helping control conditions such as autoimmune, cardiovascular, and neurodegenerative diseases.
- The study focused on the roles of kinase ITK and calcium in controlling the development of inflammatory TH17 cells or anti-inflammatory Treg cells, which can suppress inflammation.
- By inhibiting kinase ITK, naive T cells can be turned into Treg suppressor cells instead of inflammatory TH17 cells, demonstrating the ability to switch the cell’s behavior in a dose-dependent manner.
- The study used engineered mouse strains and RNA sequencing to confirm the switch in cell differentiation process stimulated by inhibiting kinase ITK and manipulating calcium levels.
- These findings suggest new possibilities for modulating immune responses in conditions where inflammation needs to be suppressed, such as autoimmune diseases.
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Immunology, Inflammation, Allergy & Clinical Immunology