I will discuss novel mechanistic links between long and short non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) and mammalian immune responses in the context of chronic inflammation with a particular focus on CD4+ T cell responses and gene regulation in the endothelium. Data from human primary cells and whole animal models of deficiency of highly conserved miRNAs or lncRNAs will be presented. The overarching implication of this work is that ncRNAs are non-redundant regulators of immunity and that studying ncRNAs can provide critical insights into unique features of the mammalian immune system.
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Dimitris Lagos is a Senior Lecturer in Immunology at the University of York. After completing his training as a chemical engineer in Athens he moved to Sheffield to pursue a PhD in monoclonal antibody engineering, spending time in AstraZeneca and the University of Zurich. Following his PhD, he moved to the CRUK Viral Oncology Group at UCL to study host responses to oncogenic viruses. There he developed a strong interest in immune gene expression regulation and specifically non-coding RNAs, which remains the focus of his group. His work has been supported by the MRC (including New Investigator, Global Challenges Research Fund, and Confidence in Concept research grants), The Wellcome Trust, and the BBSRC.