CRISPR/Cas9 Mapping of Immune Gene Networks

July 11, 2022

Genetic changes can play a significant role in the development of immune system disorders, including autoimmunity. A paper titled Systematic discovery and perturbation of regulatory genes in human T cells reveals the architecture of immune networks published in Nature Genetics took this understanding to a new level by creating a gene map that identifies the interconnectedness of genes and how they impact immune system functioning.

In this study, scientists used CRISPR/Cas9, a genome-editing tool, to disrupt various genes that make transcription factors in human T cells. They then investigated how these disruptions affected genes involved in immune cell functioning, enabling scientists to map connections. Their findings revealed that alterations in different genes can lead to similar diseases due to these connections.

By utilizing this map, scientists can identify key genes that could serve as promising targets for drug therapies to address numerous diseases caused by immune system dysfunction. 

Citation for report:

Freimer, J. W., Shaked, O., Naqvi, S., Sinnott-Armstrong, N., Kathiria, A., Garrido, C. M., Chen, A. F., Cortez, J. T., Greenleaf, W. J., Pritchard, J. K., & Marson, A. (2022). Systematic discovery and perturbation of regulatory genes in human T cells reveals the architecture of immune networks. Nature genetics, 54(8), 1133–1144. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41588-022-01106-y