Wednesday, May 04, 2005

Research Offers New Opportunities in Bio-neoconsulting

Constantly pushing the boundaries -- this is what neoconsulting is all about. Simply put, Sarah E. Umetsu has discovered the next frontier; the abstract speaks for itself:

We have examined the function of TIM-1, encoded by a gene identified as an 'atopy susceptibility gene' (Havcr1 *), and demonstrate here that TIM-1 is a molecule that costimulates T cell activation. TIM-1 was expressed on CD4+ T cells after activation and its expression was sustained preferentially in T helper type 2 (TH2) but not TH1 cells. In vitro stimulation of CD4+ T cells with a TIM-1-specific monoclonal antibody and T cell receptor ligation enhanced T cell proliferation; in TH2 cells, such costimulation greatly enhanced synthesis of interleukin 4 but not interferon-. In vivo, the use of antibody to TIM-1 plus antigen substantially increased production of both interleukin 4 and interferon- in unpolarized T cells, prevented the development of respiratory tolerance, and increased pulmonary inflammation. Our studies suggest that immunotherapies that regulate TIM-1 function may downmodulate allergic inflammatory diseases.

http://www.nature.com/ni/journal/v6/n5/abs/ni1186.html

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Chip,

This is Somosa again. Perhaps Umetsu should consider [and it's apparent that she hasn't done this] how that interferon might react with the de-stabilizing forces that were unleashed after the collapse of the initial Tashkent accords. Remember, in a flat-earth environment, helper-T cells aren't just for the first world anymore!

yours,
Sami Somosa.

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