#  Nanowire-based Perturbation of Primary T Cells 

 





March 11, 2013

 

 

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In a new paper in the journal Nature, Alex Shalek and Jellert Gaublomme in [Hongkun Park’s ](http://people.fas.harvard.edu/~parklab/)research group, in collaboration with Aviv Regev (Broad) and Vijay Kuchroo (Brigham and Womens Hospital), have utilized nanowire-based delivery to decipher the regulatory circuits that guide the differentiation of IL-17 producing T helpers cells known as Th17 cells. These cells play a key role in the defense against foreign pathogens, but they are also potent inducers of a variety of autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis. The nanowire-enabled functional screening has revealed a yin-yang architecture comprised of two antagonistically coupled gene regulatory modules that control Th17 differentiation, suggesting several novel therapeutic routes for combating the T-cell subtype imbalances that underlie many diseases. Additional information on the breakthrough can be found in [Science](http://news.sciencemag.org/sciencenow/2013/03/salt-linked-to-autoimmune-diseas.html), [Nature News](http://www.nature.com/news/salt-linked-to-autoimmune-diseases-1.12555), [Scientific American](http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=salt-linked-to-autoimmune-diseases), [The Boston Globe](http://bostonglobe.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/2013/03/06/salt-may-risk-factor-for-multiple-sclerosis-and-other-autoimmune-diseases-study-suggests/dV7kU6yLpzdAerg8Q9bF3K/story.html), and [CBS News](http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-204_162-57572934/salty-diet-may-increase-risk-for-autoimmune-diseases/).



 

 

 



 

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