Stately STAT

By Jef Akst Stately STAT © Stem Jems / Photo Researchers, Inc. The paper: X. O. Yang et al., "STAT3 regulates cytokine-mediated generation of inflammatory helper T cells," J Biol Chem, 282:9358–63, 2007. (Cited in 118 papers) The finding: Chen Dong and his colleagues at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas, modulated the expression levels of a transcription factor called STAT3 in undifferentiat

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The paper:

X. O. Yang et al., "STAT3 regulates cytokine-mediated generation of inflammatory helper T cells," J Biol Chem, 282:9358–63, 2007. (Cited in 118 papers)

The finding:

Chen Dong and his colleagues at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas, modulated the expression levels of a transcription factor called STAT3 in undifferentiated helper T cells from mice spleen and lymph nodes. They showed that STAT3 is essential for the differentiation of TH17, a recently discovered helper T cell so-named because it produces the cytokine interleukin-17 (IL-17).

The application:

IL-17 has been implicated in a variety of inflammatory diseases, including multiple sclerosis, psoriasis, and rheumatoid arthritis. The recognition of STAT3's role in TH17's development "identifies a clear drug target to inhibit TH17 differentiation," says Jay Kolls, an immunologist at Louisiana State University in New Orleans.

The danger:

"The genome-wide targets of STAT3 are turning out to be immense," says John ...

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Meet the Author

Jef Akst
Jef (an unusual nickname for Jennifer) got her master’s degree from Indiana University in April 2009 studying the mating behavior of seahorses. After four years of diving off the Gulf Coast of Tampa and performing behavioral experiments at the Tennessee Aquarium in Chattanooga, she left research to pursue a career in science writing. As The Scientist's managing editor, Jef edited features and oversaw the production of the TS Digest and quarterly print magazine. In 2022, her feature on uterus transplantation earned first place in the trade category of the Awards for Excellence in Health Care Journalism. She is a member of the National Association of Science Writers.
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