Berthiaume-Fox, Galvin et. al Publish Review in Frontiers in Immunology Highlighting RAC2 Effects on Immune Cell Actin Migration
Kayleigh Berthiaume-Fox, Emily Galvin, Dr. Geoffrey C. Gurtner, and Dr. Kellen Chen publish a new review in Frontiers in Immunology examining the role of RAC2 in regulating innate immune cell function, with important implications for wound healing, fibrosis, and immune dysregulation. The review examines how gain-of-function, loss-of-function, and null RAC2 mutations alter key neutrophil behaviors, including superoxide production, actin cytoskeleton remodeling, and chemotaxis. The review further proposes a biphasic model of RAC2-dependent neutrophil migration, in which both insufficient and excessive RAC2 activity can disrupt actin cycling and ultimately impair immune cell migration.
These findings provide a framework for understanding how RAC2-mediated immune cell mechanics may contribute to immune dysregulation, impaired wound healing, and fibrosis, while highlighting RAC2-related pathways as potential targets for future immunomodulatory therapies.
Congratulations to all authors and contributors for their effort to push this work forward!