Ep. 33: “Academic Publishing” Featuring Dr. Mark Kaplan
Jul 19, 2022
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Dr. Mark Kaplan, Chair of Microbiology and Immunology at Indiana University and Editor-In-Chief of ImmunoHorizons, shares his insights on the complexities of academic publishing. He dives into the vital roles of T helper 9 cells in lung inflammation and the significance of gamma delta T cells in wound healing. Kaplan also discusses the challenges of submitting research during the pandemic and the importance of platforms like ImmunoHorizons for advancing immunological research that might otherwise go unnoticed.
The podcast discusses the challenges of academic publishing, emphasizing the need for a more supportive and efficient peer review process.
Research on gasdermin D reveals its pivotal role in IL-33 cytokine secretion, showcasing its importance in allergic responses beyond cell death.
The development of regulatory T cells from dietary antigen exposure highlights the complex mechanisms of immune tolerance in the gut.
Deep dives
Challenges of Academic Publishing
Submitting scientific papers often involves navigating complex review processes that can be frustrating and time-consuming. The podcast highlights experiences during the pandemic, where some reviewers showed understanding due to lab closures, while others seemed driven to request excessive additional experiments. Such dynamics raise questions about the motivations behind certain review requests, suggesting a competitive atmosphere where reviewers may inadvertently stall progress in their field. The discussion emphasizes the need for better understanding and improvement of the peer review system.
Recent Advances in Gasdermins and IL-33
Research on gasdermins has unveiled their role beyond inducing pyroptosis; they are crucial for the secretion of IL-33, a key cytokine in allergic responses. An intriguing study demonstrated that a specific cleavage form of gasdermin D is necessary for the release of IL-33 from cells, despite traditional views linking gasdermins mainly to cell death. By utilizing gasdermin D knockout mice and various cellular assays, researchers mapped out the cleavage regions that facilitated this process in response to stress. This represents a significant advancement in understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying inflammatory responses and allergen signaling.
Mechanisms of Immune Tolerance to Food Antigens
The generation of immune tolerance to dietary antigens is a critical area of study, particularly to understand why the immune system does not react violently to food. A recent study explored how repeated oral feeding of food peptides leads to the emergence of regulatory T cells, which are vital for maintaining tolerance. Mice fed with certain peptides exhibited a gradual transition from inactive state to regulatory T cells upon continued exposure, underlining the importance of the gut's immune environment. These findings suggest that tolerance mechanisms function through a complex interplay of T cell populations and their maturation in response to dietary inputs.
Astrocyte Reaction and Its Impact on Brain Injury
Astrocytes play a significant role in brain pathology, particularly in response to injury, where their activation can correlate with adverse neurological outcomes. A study indicated that reactive astrocytes in the thalamus contribute to increased neuronal excitability, which may lead to seizures. The researchers demonstrated that enhancing the uptake of GABA can reverse the excitability induced by astrocytic changes following brain damage. This mechanism provides new insights into how astrocyte behavior following injury may result in prolonged susceptibility to neurological conditions.
Bystander B Cells and Their Role in Immune Memory
Investigating the dynamics of lung resident memory B cells in response to infections reveals complexity in immune memory formation. Recent research identified distinct populations of B cells post-influenza infection, some of which are bona fide antigen-specific cells while others are bystanders lacking direct antigen recognition. These bystander cells demonstrate increased proliferation and response due to proximity to activated, antigen-specific memory B cells, suggesting a cooperative mechanism during immune activation. This highlights the importance of not only understanding specific immune responses but also the roles of broader B cell populations in fostering collective immunity.
Dr. Mark Kaplan is the Chair of the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at Indiana University School of Medicine. He is currently the Editor-In-Chief for the American Association of Immunologists’ journal ImmunoHorizons. Much of Dr. Kaplan’s work has focused on understanding the function of transcription factors in the development of T helper cell subsets. He talks about the role of T helper 9 cells in lung inflammation and γδ T cells in wound healing. He also discusses ImmunoHorizons and how it provides a home for solid immunological research that may otherwise remain unpublished.
Immune Tolerance to Food – CD4+ T cells respond to food peptides by proliferating weakly in secondary lymphoid organs of the gut–liver axis owing to the action of Tregs.
