Introduction: Autoimmune diseases currently affect 3-5% of the world’s population [1]. Although there have been great strides in treating autoimmune diseases, there is still a need for innovative therapeutics to improve treatment. Recently, microbial metabolites have gained traction for their impact on immune responses and have been implicated in autoimmune diseases [2]. However, the role of microbial metabolites in regulating T cell immunity and differentiation is largely unknown. Therefore, further investigation of microbial metabolites for treatment of autoimmune diseases is a promising approach.
Learning Objectives:
Understand the screening process for microbial metabolites.
Explain the hypothesized mechanism of action for Metabolite-X, and how it regulates T-cell immunity.
Comprehend the applications of Metabolite-X in treating autoimmune diseases.
Young Seok Cho – Postdoc, Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Michigan; Mariko Takahashi – Assistant Research Scientist, University of Michigan; Fang Xie – Graduate Student Research Assistant, Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Michigan-College of Pharmacy; Jin Xu – BI Innovation Fellow, University of Michigan; James Moon – John Gideon Searle Professor, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Biomedical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, University of Michigan
