Simplified illustration of the main ILC subsets, their key transcription elements, activating cytokines and responses. Credit score: “Features of innate lymphoid cells in human fetal tissues and adult respiratory infection” (2025). DOI: 10.69622/28263575
Inga Rødahl from the Middle for Infectious Medication (CIM) on the Division of Medication, Huddinge (MedH) is defending her thesis, titled “Features of innate lymphoid cells in human fetal tissues and adult respiratory infection,” on 4 April, 2025. The principle supervisor is Jakob Michaëlsson (MedH).
What’s the fundamental focus of your thesis?
The work of this thesis has been targeted on innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) throughout human tissues. ILCs are vital gamers of the innate immune system, and include a number of subpopulations, together with, however not restricted to, pure killer (NK) cells and group 3 ILCs (ILC3s). These two populations are the primary immune cells of lymphoid origin to come up throughout fetal growth, the place they’re current already after the primary half of the primary trimester.
Along with different fetal immune cells, they probably assist handle overseas proteins and cells, contribute to tissue growth, and lay the inspiration for immune capabilities after delivery. Nevertheless, acquiring human fetal tissues is difficult, thus NK cells and ILC3s stay largely understudied in early human growth.
To higher perceive their growth and potential tissue-specific capabilities, we investigated the character of NK cells and ILC3s in human fetal tissues. Moreover, with the COVID pandemic we had a chance to check NK cells in sufferers with COVID-19 an infection in comparison with sufferers with an influenza an infection.
That are crucial outcomes?
We confirmed that NK cells and ILC3s have distinct distribution and gene expression profiles throughout fetal tissues. This distinction might come from native tissue growth, as we additionally recognized a possible progenitor cell distinctive to the fetal gut.
We have now additionally been the primary to determine fetal immune cells originating from the identical supply—so-called clonal cells—by utilizing mitochondrial mutations as pure barcodes. This allowed us to determine clonal populations spanning throughout each cell varieties and fetal tissues, although some clones had a bias in the direction of particular tissues, additional indicating that there could also be some tissue-biased growth.
Within the context of grownup respiratory an infection, we discovered that NK cell and T cell recruitment to the lung throughout viral an infection probably share related mechanisms in each COVID-19 and influenza an infection.
How can this new information contribute to the advance of individuals’s well being?
A deeper understanding of fetal immune cells—their phenotype, perform, distribution and the way they develop throughout fetal tissues—could possibly be essential for future diagnostics and even in utero interventions. Figuring out and addressing immune irregularities earlier than they take maintain might result in lifelong corrections, considerably bettering well being and high quality of life.
Moreover, our findings from learning sufferers with COVID-19 and influenza infections might support in creating therapies that modulate NK cell and T cell recruitment to contaminated airways, to doubtlessly enhance immune responses.
What are your future ambitions?
It has been fascinating to do my training and Ph.D. alongside the rise of single-cell sequencing. I’m very intrigued to observe the continued speedy evolution of this device and different applied sciences, and to see what organic questions we can handle sooner or later. This, mixed with elevated appreciation for tissue immunology and the gathering of paired human tissues, can result in some insightful and impactful analysis.
For my very own journey, I’m excited to discover alternatives the place I can apply my abilities and proceed studying.
Extra info:
Inga Rødahl, Options of innate lymphoid cells in human fetal tissues and grownup respiratory an infection (2025). DOI: 10.69622/28263575
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Karolinska Institutet
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New thesis supplies deeper understanding of fetal immune cells (2025, March 31)
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