Neuro-immune interactions in the gut: circadian control of regulatory T cells by enteric neurons

Speaker: dr Tomasz Ahrends, Rockefeller University, New York, USA

Talk:  Neuro-immune interactions in the gut: circadian control of regulatory T cells by enteric neurons

Time: 17.01.2025, 9:00 am

Venue: Intercollegiate Faculty of Biotechnology, Abrahama 58, hall 042B

Multiple intestinal functions including nutrient absorption and peristalsis display regional specialization as well as time-of-day effect under the control of circadian rhythm. We investigated the role of these adaptations in the intestinal immune system and the response to dietary antigens. We found that regulatory T (Treg) cells in the murine small intestine expand during the active phase and contract during the rest phase. Treg cell expansion was supported by eosinophils and clock gene-dependent rhythmic control of enteric neurons. The circadian entrainment of these changes depended on light exposure but not on the time of food intake. This neuro-immune pathway affected immune responses to food, so that oral challenges during the night resulted in more protective tolerance. These data suggest that circadian and regional adaptations in the intestine augment regulatory responses during the active phase. Dr. Tomasz Ahrends obtained his PhD at the Netherlands Cancer Institute. Under the supervision of Prof. Jannie Borst he studied molecular mechanisms by which primary and memory CD8+ T cell responses are optimized by CD4+ T cell help. In 2018 he joined the laboratory of Dr. Daniel Mucida at the Rockefeller University, New York, studying neuro-immune interactions in the gut. In his postdoctoral research he has described how certain enteric infections induce a state of tissue tolerance, preventing neuronal loss during subsequent challenges. He then became interested in how circadian rhythm shapes regional immune responses in the small intestine. Dr. Ahrends is a recipient of the Human Frontier Science Program fellowship and the 2022 Breakout Prize for Junior Investigators.