The Department of Genetic Medicine at Weill Cornell leads a dynamic and innovative translational research program, advancing diverse fields such as Genetic Therapy and Personalized Medicine.
Our translational research program aims to leverage our expertise in genetic therapies and personalized medicine to develop clinical solutions that target the molecular causes of human diseases.
The Department of Genetic Medicine advances treatments and diagnostics through diverse clinical trials, including drug testing and research to better understand diseases.
The Department of Genetic Medicine at Weill Cornell leads a dynamic and innovative translational research program, advancing diverse fields such as Genetic Therapy and Personalized Medicine.
Our translational research program aims to leverage our expertise in genetic therapies and personalized medicine to develop clinical solutions that target the molecular causes of human diseases.
The Department of Genetic Medicine advances treatments and diagnostics through diverse clinical trials, including drug testing and research to better understand diseases.
Preferential usage of the T-cell antigen receptor beta-chain constant region C beta 1 element by lung T-lymphocytes of patients with pulmonary sarcoidosis.
Evaluation of the T-cells accumulating at sites of disease in active sarcoidosis suggests the accumulation process is not random, evidenced by a bias in the types of T-cells present. To evaluate the concept that this bias extends to the accumulation of T-cells with the preferential use of specific T-cell antigen receptor (TCR) beta-chain constant region elements, beta-chain mRNA transcripts of lung and blood T-cells of normal subjects and patients with pulmonary sarcoidosis were compared for the relative usage of constant region beta 1 or beta 2 elements. Quantitative evaluation of C beta 1 and C beta 2 mRNA transcripts demonstrated a C beta 1/C beta 2 usage in normal blood of 0.63 +/- 0.02, similar to that of normal lung (0.64 +/- 0.06, p greater than 0.7), and in sarcoid blood (0.59 +/- 0.03, p greater than 0.2). In contrast, the lung T-lymphocytes of patients with sarcoidosis reflected a marked bias in the usage of C beta 1 elements (C beta 1/C beta 2: 0.88 +/- 0.06, p less than 0.001 compared with sarcoid blood and normal blood; p less than 0.02 compared with normal lung). Interestingly, a subgroup of these patients (six of 18) showed a markedly exaggerated skewing in the use of C beta 1 elements (C beta 1/C beta 2 ratio greater than 1, i.e., greater than 3 standard deviations above mean), demonstrating heterogeneity among sarcoid patients with regard to specific C beta 1 usage.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)