This project took a deep dive into the T cell biology of people with Down syndrome. T cells are an important cell in the immune system. There are numerous types and subtypes of T cells, each with specific functions in the immune response. For example, “cytotoxic T cells” kill dangerous cells infected by virus or from tumors…..

It is well known that a third copy of chromosome 21 (trisomy 21) causes Down Syndrome; however, the molecular processes that occur as a result are not well understood. In this landmark publication, our scientists used complementary genomics techniques and transcriptome analyses on multiple cell lines and human blood samples to show that trisomy 21 consistently activates the interferon signaling cascade across a variety of cell types…..