Long Non-coding RNAs and the Homeostasis of Innate Immune Cells

Immunology Interest Group Jorge Henao-Mejia obtained his M.D. in 2005 from the University of Antioquia, Medellin, Colombia and his Ph.D. in 2009 from Indiana University, Indianapolis. He was a post-doctoral fellow with Richard Flavell at Yale University, where he studied the interactions between the immune system and metabolism in the context of health and obesity. Since summer 2014, he has been on the Faculty at the University of Pennsylvania. His current research aims to understand the role of the innate immune system in the development of metabolic syndrome, and to comprehend the metabolic pathways that are necessary for appropriate immune responses. Jorge's laboratory has been pioneering novel mouse genetic tools to define the molecular mechanism of chronic inflammatory disorders, with a particular focus on long non-coding RNAs (see Cold Spring Harb Protoc 2016; doi:10.1101/pdb.prot090704), which he will discuss during his presentation. He is a rising star in the field and his talk is one not to miss. Abstract: Epigenetic modifications induced by extracellular cues enable cells to rapidly adapt to changes in their environment. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are now considered key controllers of epigenetically regulated gene expression. Notably, emerging evidence indicates that lncRNAs play a critical role in integrating extracellular inputs with epigenetic modification pathways to promote changes in gene expression programs. Given the tight regulation that is required t...
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