T cell Archives

Mary Philip, MD, PhD, left, and Michael Rudloff, PhD, found that T cells become “exhausted” within hours of encountering a tumor, challenging existing ideas about how T cells become dysfunctional. (photo by Anthony Czelusniak)

Study finds hallmarks of T cell exhaustion within hours of tumor exposure

Aug. 3, 2023—Vanderbilt researchers found that T cells become “exhausted” within hours of encountering a tumor, challenging existing ideas about how T cells become dysfunctional.

Luc Van Kaer, PhD, left, Luke Postoak and colleagues have identified a protein that is key to the “education” of immature T cells in the thymus.

Study identifies key player in T cell “education”

Sep. 1, 2022—New Vanderbilt research could inform therapeutic strategies for enhancing thymic function when desired — such as during aging, recovery from radiation therapy or chemotherapy, or other conditions that reduce T cell output.

Blood test figures in cancer risk for people with HIV

Mar. 17, 2022—A Vanderbilt study found that, among adult patients with HIV, those who have lower counts of certain types of blood cells have a markedly higher risk of developing cancer.

Melanoma treatment response

Feb. 24, 2022—Targeting the interaction between melanoma and immune cells could improve responses to targeted cancer therapies, Vanderbilt researchers found.

Ayaka Sugiura and Jeff Rathmell, PhD, are studying a metabolic enzyme involved in T cell function that may offer a new target for anti-inflammatory therapeutics.

CRISPR screen identifies new anti-inflammatory drug target

Nov. 11, 2021—A novel CRISPR screen developed by Vanderbilt researchers identified a promising new target for anti-inflammatory therapeutics.

‘Pre-conditioning’ restores immune tolerance

Sep. 16, 2021—A treatment targeting T-cell metabolism could reinvigorate immune tolerance mechanisms to combat autoimmune disease and transplant rejection, Vanderbilt researchers discovered.

Deanna Edwards, PhD, left, Jin Chen, MD, PhD, and colleagues are studying a new therapeutic strategy for triple-negative breast cancer.

Breast cancer cells ‘steal’ nutrients from immune cells: study

Apr. 1, 2021—Triple-negative breast cancer cells engage in a “glutamine steal” — outcompeting T cells for the nutrient glutamine and impairing their ability to kill tumor cells, Vanderbilt researchers have discovered.

HIV, diabetes and immune cells in fat

Mar. 18, 2021—In HIV-positive individuals with diabetes, immune cells in fat are more proinflammatory and cytotoxic and may represent a therapeutic target for diabetes.

Key factors in HIV-1 replication

Feb. 8, 2021—HIV-1, the virus that causes AIDS, exploits inositol phosphates in T cells to aid its own assembly and maturation — suggesting that targeting inositol phosphate binding could inhibit HIV-1 replication.

Ann Richmond, MD, Chi Yan, PhD, Jinming Yang, PhD, and colleagues are studying ways to boost antitumor immunity and reduce tumor growth in breast cancer and melanoma.

Study reveals new strategy for reducing tumor growth, metastasis

Dec. 17, 2020—A team of Vanderbilt investigators has discovered that blocking a certain signaling pathway boosts antitumor immunity and reduces tumor growth and metastasis in models of breast cancer and melanoma.

Rational vaccine design

Sep. 22, 2020—Understanding immunity generated by smallpox vaccine may hold lessons for COVID-19 vaccine development.

“Nur” target may aid arthritis treatment

Jul. 13, 2020—Vanderbilt immunologists have discovered that the protein Nur77 is part of a control mechanism that guards against autoimmunity in natural killer T cells.