New research from UT Southwestern suggests that RNA exosomes — the cellular machines that degrade old molecules of RNA — play a key role in the development of B cells, which are critical to the immune system’s ability to protect against infection. The findings, published in Science Immunology, explain why patients with rare mutations in a gene that codes for this machinery are often immunodeficient and could offer new approaches to treat autoimmune diseases.
“It was quite a surprise for us to find that this gene, whose role was well known as part of a disposal system for RNA, is also critical for a very important part of our immune system,” said study leader Nan Yan, Ph.D., Professor of Immunology and Microbiology at UT Southwestern and a member of the Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center.
