Cytokines like interferon-gamma are key players in decisions driving inflammation and regeneration. Using a 3D co-culture model based on human intestinal organoids, PhD students Alessandro Cutilli and Suze Jansen discovered that interferon-gamma can reprogram the gut lining, leading it to express a set of pro-inflammatory genes. Specifically, they found an upregulation of chemokines CXCL9, CXCL10, and CXCL11—molecules that are key to recruiting immune cells. Their findings also showed that this reprogramming enhances T-cell migration, largely driven by CXCL11. These insights could open new therapeutic avenues: targeting CXCL11 might help prevent T-cells from trafficking to the inflamed intestine, potentially offering relief for conditions like inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Check out the full study at:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39302156/