Boston University researchers identify key regulator of inflammatory response

Researchers at Boston University School of Medicine have identified a gene that plays a key role in regulating inflammatory response and homeostasis. This could help lead to the development of innovative methods to reduce the inflammation associated with cancer, type 2 diabetes and other diseases. Cells respond to inflammation by producing cytokines, which are cellular signaling protein molecules that allow for intercellular communication. Cytokines bind to specific receptors on cellular membranes, activating an intracellular signaling process. In this study, researchers looked at a gene called GPS2, which was previously known to regulate gene expression in the nucleus. This study found that GPS2 plays a critical role at the cellular membrane level to negatively regulate the signaling cascade activated by the cytokine TNF-alpha. As a result, they observed that increasing GPS2 levels was sufficient to impair the response to TNF-alpha, resulting in a decreased inflammatory response.