Megan will explore one of the immune system’s most important safety mechanisms: its ability to switch itself off. While the immune system is essential for defending us from infections, it must also know when to stop. Otherwise, it can mistakenly attack the body’s own healthy tissues, leading to autoimmune diseases.
Key to this shutdown process are special molecules on immune cells known as inhibitory receptors. These act like brakes, sending “stop” signals when needed. However, despite their importance, we still know surprisingly little about how these receptors work at the molecular level: one reason why many promising drugs targeting them have failed in clinical trials.
To tackle this, Megan will use an out of the box hypothesis and test it using cutting-edge microscopy techniques. She will observe immune cells in their natural 3D environment, and then zoom in to the nanoscale to watch how inhibitory receptors interact with their surroundings. By revealing how these molecular brakes function in real time, on the nanoscale, her research could pave the way for smarter, more effective treatments for autoimmune and inflammatory diseases.
To learn more, visit the webpage of AMOLF’s Physics of Cellular Interaction Group. This group explores the basic physical principles behind cellular signaling: how do cells transmit, process and respond to information, both precisely and unambiguously?
