Rebecca Blank

TL;DR: It is shown that peripheral conversion of CD4+ T cells to T reg cells occurs primarily in gut-associated lymphoid tissue (GALT) after oral exposure to antigen and in a lymphopenic environment, and that the intestinal immune system has evolved a self-contained strategy to promote T reg cell neoconversion.

TL;DR: It is demonstrated that in addition to the promotion of activation-induced cell death of lymphocytes and the generation of Treg cells, inhibition of Th17 polarization appears to be an important function of IL-2.

TL;DR: It is found that environmental cues provided by both local dendritic cells and effector T cells can induce the expression of T-bet transcription factor and IFN-gamma by Treg cells, revealing a mechanism for Th1 cell pathogenicity that extends beyond their proinflammatory program to limit Treg cell survival.

TL;DR: It is found that gut flora DNA (gfDNA) plays a major role in intestinal homeostasis through Toll-like receptor 9 (TLR9) engagement and is used as a natural adjuvant for priming intestinal responses via modulation of Treg/Teff cell equilibrium.

TL;DR: The hypothesis is that enteropathogen infection contributes to undernutrition by causing intestinal inflammation and/or by altering intestinal barrier and absorptive function, and it is further postulated that this leads to growth faltering and deficits in cognitive development.