Research Projects

Cell-free chromatin particles (cfChPs) can enter healthy cells to induce DNA damage and activate inflammatory responses. Researchers have conducted experiments to test this hypothesis. They found that cfChPs activate the immune response via the sTING pathway, causing immune activation in CD69 expression, cellular stress response, and cytokine production. When conditioned media of dying lymphocytes were added to healthy PBMCs, cfChPs accumulated in recipient cells, activating CD69. However, these events could be inhibited by de-activators of cfChPs. Future experiments will investigate the immune modulatory effects of cfChPs on immune cells, the mechanism of activation of the sTING pathway, and the immune-modulatory effects of cfChPs on other cell types. The results may lead to new therapies for hyper-inflammation-associated conditions.