Seminar: Prof. Neda Bagheri, Northwestern University
Monday, April 30
12:00 PM
Tong Auditorium (Room 1003 Engineering Centers Building)
Prof. Neda Bagheri
Dept. of Chemical and Biologica1 Engineering
Northwestern University
Evanston, IL
A dynamical systems perspective on cytokine signaling responses by human T cells (Abstract)
Cosponsored by LOCI and Prairie Technologies.
Abstract
An immune response involves the release of many cytokines with various immunomodulatory functions. Its efficacy depends, in part, on the types of cytokines secreted by activated T cells and their corresponding kinetic profiles. Through serial microengraving [1], the Love Lab is able to quantify single and multiple T cell cytokine secretion dynamics, offering a unique multidimensional perspective to study time-dependent functional differences specific to immunophenotypes. We have employed dynamical systems strategies to these data to investigate the temporal evolution of specific cytokine responses that are indicative of a healthy immune system. Further experiments using defined stimulatory perturbations provide additional insight on the regulatory mechanisms that control T cell function. As a result, we are able to better resolve and predict the nonlinear functional dynamics governing qualitatively different T-cell responses. This systems-level methodology should enable the identification of unique time-dependent cytokine signatures indicative of productive immune function, and may offer metrics to design more effective and personalized treatment strategies.