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Full-Text Articles in Medicine and Health Sciences
Unraveling Molecular Mechanisms Underlying The Development Of Unconventional T Cells, Daniel Eduardo Bastardo Blanco
Unraveling Molecular Mechanisms Underlying The Development Of Unconventional T Cells, Daniel Eduardo Bastardo Blanco
Theses and Dissertations (ETD)
The thymus supports and guides the generation of a diverse repertoire of mature T cells from precursors derived from the bone marrow. In addition to conventional CD4 and CD8 T cells, innate-like T cells also develop in the thymus and share features of the adaptive and the innate immune system. These ‘unconventional’ T cells have emerging roles in tissue homeostasis and disease, but the molecular mechanisms underpinning their development remain elusive. In this study, we uncovered the roles of the molecules RAPTOR and PTEN in the thymic development of unconventional T cells. Capitalizing on genetic deletion of RAPTOR, we found …
Pten Signaling In Regulatory T Cells And Inflammatory Disease, Sharad Krishna Shrestha
Pten Signaling In Regulatory T Cells And Inflammatory Disease, Sharad Krishna Shrestha
Theses and Dissertations (ETD)
Regulatory T (Treg) cells suppress CD4+ T cell responses during homeostasis and inflammation to prevent autoimmunity and other immune disorders. Although the transcriptional and epigenetic programs impacting Treg cell function have been extensively studied, the signaling and metabolic pathways underlying Treg stability and function are not fully understood. In this study, we determined the role of the phosphatase PTEN in Treg cells. We found that specific depletion of PTEN in Treg cells results in excessive TH1 and T follicular helper cells (TFH) responses, associated with elevated germinal center (GC) B cells and spontaneous development of autoimmune and lymphoproliferative disease in …
The Effects Of Pten Deletion On Cell Size And Plasticity In The Hippocampus, Margaret Sperow
The Effects Of Pten Deletion On Cell Size And Plasticity In The Hippocampus, Margaret Sperow
Theses and Dissertations (ETD)
The tumor suppressor phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) is the central negative regulator of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) -signaling pathway, which mediates diverse processes in various tissues. In the nervous system, the PI3K pathway modulates proliferation, migration, cellular size and synaptic transmission and plasticity. Neurologic abnormalities such as autism, seizures, and ataxia are associated with inherited PTEN mutations. Yet, how PTEN loss contributes to neurologic dysfunction remains unknown. PTEN loss during early development is associated with extensive deficits in neuronal migration and substantial hypotrophy of neurons and synaptic densities. However, whether its effect on synaptic transmission and plasticity is direct …