The Immunology Podcast

Ep. 115: “Intercellular Communication” Featuring Dr. Harikesh Wong

Sep 23, 2025
Dr. Harikesh Wong, an Assistant Professor at the Ragon Institute and MIT, dives into the fascinating world of intercellular communication and Treg function in the immune system. He shares insights on how antigen specificity in Tregs can prevent autoimmunity during infections. Dr. Wong also discusses his advanced fluorescence microscopy techniques for visualizing Treg interactions with conventional T cells. Plus, he explores the challenges of translating mouse model insights to human systems, and he even ties in his passion for martial arts as a means to find focus.
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INSIGHT

Telomere Damage Drives T Cell Dysfunction

  • Telomeres in tumor-infiltrating T cells suffer oxidative damage without clear shortening initially.
  • Targeted telomere antioxidant protection improved T cell fitness and anti-tumor activity in models.
INSIGHT

Tumors Rewire Myeloid Progenitors via NRF2

  • Tumors trigger oxidative-stress programs in myeloid progenitors, driving immunosuppressive macrophage development.
  • Inhibiting NRF2 in myeloid progenitors reduced suppressive macrophages and boosted checkpoint therapy effectiveness in mice.
INSIGHT

Specificity Becomes Critical During Infection

  • Regulatory T cell specificity matters under inflammation and rising self-antigen levels during infection.
  • Losing Tregs matched to a single self-peptide can trigger local autoimmunity during infection.
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