Major Breakthrough Unveils Immune System's Guardian: IKAROS
Published:19 Feb.2024 Source:Monash University
In a scientific breakthrough that aids our understanding of the internal wiring of immune cells, researchers at Monash University in Australia have cracked the code behind IKAROS, an essential protein for immune cell development and protection against pathogens and cancer.
When the transcription factor Ikaros/Ikzf1 was deliberately obstructed, be it in preclinical models or humans, the once-mighty activity of Natural Killer (NK) cells, our immune system's frontline warriors, plummeted. Loss of this transcription factor in NK cells resulted in wide-spread dysregulation of NK cell development and function, preventing their ability to recognize and kill virus-infected cells and clear metastatic tumour cells from circulation. Aiolos/Ikzf3 and Helios/Ikzf2, related family member were found to partial compensate for the loss of Ikaros, as such when multiple IKZF-family members were inhibited, NK cells underwent rapidly death.
Mechanistically, Aiolos and Ikaros were found to directly bind and activate most members of the JUN/FOS family, transcription factors known for their essential roles in human embryo development and tissue function. This discovery opens the door to the prospect of potential novel cancer therapeutics.