Feinberg
Northwestern Medicine | Northwestern University | Faculty Profiles

News Center

  • Categories
    • Campus News
    • Disease Discoveries
    • Clinical Breakthroughs
    • Education News
    • Scientific Advances
    • Podcast
  • Press Release
  • Media Coverage
  • Editor’s Picks
    • COVID-19
    • Cardiology
    • Cancer
    • Neurology and Neuroscience
    • Aging and Longevity
    • Artificial Intelligence in Medicine
  • News Archives
  • About Us
    • Media Contact
    • Share Your News
    • News Feeds
    • Social Media
    • Contact Us
Menu
  • Categories
    • Campus News
    • Disease Discoveries
    • Clinical Breakthroughs
    • Education News
    • Scientific Advances
    • Podcast
  • Press Release
  • Media Coverage
  • Editor’s Picks
    • COVID-19
    • Cardiology
    • Cancer
    • Neurology and Neuroscience
    • Aging and Longevity
    • Artificial Intelligence in Medicine
  • News Archives
  • About Us
    • Media Contact
    • Share Your News
    • News Feeds
    • Social Media
    • Contact Us
Home » Regulation of Immune Response in the Gut
Scientific Advances

Regulation of Immune Response in the Gut

By Sarah PlumridgeOct 7, 2014
Share
Facebook Twitter Email
This section of the mouse colon shows increased expression of protein IL-22 and enhanced protection against infection.

Northwestern Medicine scientists have found a new molecular mechanism underlying the regulation of the immune system in the gut, which may protect against bacterial infections.

In a study recently published in The Journal of Immunology, scientists uncovered a new role for transcription factor Ikaros. Ikaros plays a crucial role in gene expression and moderates the function of T-cells, a type of immune cell. This paper is the first to show the transcription factor regulating T-cells and its creation of protein IL-22 in the gut.

“Targeting this transcription factor allows us to find new ways to control the gut immune response,” said Liang Zhou, MD, PhD, assistant professor in Pathology and Microbiology-Immunology and a member of the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Pew Scholar and Burroughs Wellcome Fund Investigator. “IL-22 is important to fight infection and for gut immunity, but if you produce too much of this protein, it causes inflammation and can lead to autoimmunity problems.  We are trying to understand the balance of IL-22 production.  We believe that the transcription factor Ikaros may function as a key factor to regulate this balance.”

Liang Zhou, MD, PhD, and his team found a new role for transcription factor Ikaros, a protein that plays a crucial role in gene expression, that contributes to the regulation of the immune response in the gut. 

 

Zhou hopes this research will contribute to the understanding of how to manipulate the immune response in a patient either to fight an infection or to address autoimmunity.

The team used genetic mouse models in addition to immunological assays to find the function of Ikaros. They demonstrated a new role for this transcription factor in inhibiting the IL-22 producing T-cells in in vivo and in vitro experiments.  When Ikaros activity was blocked, scientists saw an increase in the production of IL-22, and the mice had a better immune cell response against bacterial infection.

Zhou previously discovered other factors that also regulate the creation of IL-22, so he hopes to investigate how these different molecules are communicating with each other to control the production of proteins in the immune response.

Next, Zhou’s team wants to learn how this regulation is achieved and ultimately identify a target for new treatments.

First author of the study is Jennifer Heller, ’14 PhD. The research was funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases grants R01 AI089954 and R21 AI091962.

Immunology Microbiology Research
Share. Facebook Twitter Email

Related Posts

Hospitals Bound to Patient Safety Rules that Aren’t all Backed by Evidence

Jun 24, 2022

Identifying Protein Interactions that Promote Cancer Growth

Jun 24, 2022

Calcium Channel Blockers May Improve Chemotherapy Response

Jun 21, 2022

Comments are closed.

Latest News

Student Spearheads Ukraine Aid Efforts

Jun 27, 2022

Hospitals Bound to Patient Safety Rules that Aren’t all Backed by Evidence

Jun 24, 2022

Identifying Protein Interactions that Promote Cancer Growth

Jun 24, 2022

Combination Treatment May Improve Quality of Life in Kidney Cancer

Jun 23, 2022

Calcium Channel Blockers May Improve Chemotherapy Response

Jun 21, 2022
  • News Center Home
  • Categories
  • Press Release
  • Media Coverage
  • Editor’s Picks
  • News Archives
  • About Us
Flickr Photos
pride7
pride6
pride5
pride4
pride3
pride2
pride1
20220607_Feinberg Campus_0070
20220607_Feinberg Campus_0066
20220607_Feinberg Campus_0054
Northwestern University 2022. Photo by Jim Prisching
20220607_Feinberg Campus_0077

Northwestern University logo

Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine

RSS Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Flickr YouTube Instagram
Copyright © 2022 Northwestern University
  • Contact Northwestern University
  • Disclaimer
  • Campus Emergency Information
  • Policy Statements

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.