New insights in immune cells
A new study in Nature Immunology shows that specific immune cells can prevent the immune system from mistakenly attacking the body’s own tissues - a phenomenon called autoimmunity.
PhD Fellow from Department of Immunology and Microbiology (ISIM) Mustafa Ghanizada has recently published a study on differential roles of human CD4+ and CD8+ regulatory T cells in controlling self-reactive immune responses in the renowned Nature Immunology as shared first author.
Supported by the DARE Fellowship and the Lundbeck Foundation, Mustafa Ghanizada spent a year at Stanford University in Professor Mark M. Davis' laboratory researching how specific immune cells prevent the immune system from mistakenly attacking the body’s own tissues — a phenomenon known as autoimmunity.
During his research stay, he focused on the role of two critical types of immune cells, CD4+ and CD8+ regulatory T cells, which act as "gatekeepers" by suppressing self-reactive immune responses.
By combining advanced gene-editing techniques and lab-grown miniature immune organs (immune organoids), they disrupted the function of these regulatory cells to uncover their distinct yet complementary roles in controlling self-reactivity and preventing autoimmunity.
His findings are now published in Nature Immunology, contributing to the understanding of immune regulation and its implications for autoimmune diseases.
Since returning to ISIM, Mustafa Ghanizada has established a human sampling pipeline to continue developing the immune organoid model. His current research focuses on understanding the dynamics of human immune responses to vaccines, particularly the mechanisms that drive mucosal immunity. Additionally, he is investigating how regulatory T cells prevent self-reactivity during an immune response—an unanswered question from his publication in Nature Immunology.
He continues to collaborate with Professor Mark M. Davis to advance the immune organoid model and contribute to the field of human immunology.
With support from the DARE program and the Lundbeck Foundation, I had the opportunity to join Professor Mark M. Davis's renowned laboratory at Stanford University. My Nature Immunology publication underscores the value of such research talent programs.
Read more about Mustafa Ghanizada's research on autoimmune disease here
Link to the published article in Nature Immunology here