Defining the role of myosin motor proteins and their cargo adaptors in cytokine secretion

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Inflammation is the body's first line of defense to injury and infection. Cells under attack alert the immune system through the release of chemicals,called cytokines, which activate immune cells to clear the wound from bacteria and heal the tissue. However, under certain conditions the body stays on high alert and the inflammation becomes uncontrolled and chronic. Human aging is characterized by a chronic, low-grade inflammation, and this phenomenon has been termed as "inflammaging", which is a highly significant risk factor for both morbidity and mortality in elderly people, as most if not all age-related diseases share an inflammatory pathogenesis. Thus it is very important to control chronic inflammation and regulate the level of cytokines in our body to ensure healthy ageing. In this study we will investigate the machinery in cells that controls the release of cytokines. The biological cell resembles a miniature factory containing a vast collection of dedicated protein machines. These machines are driven by chemical energy and perform a huge variety of different tasks. For example highly specialysed motor proteins can translocate along filament tracks in a step-by-step motion powered by chemical energy derived from ATP. These motor proteins move cargo between different locations rather like a train running along a railway network to their specific destinations. These nanoscale motors also transport cytokines from their production sites to the cell surface, where they are released. Thus our major aim is to identify drugs that regulate these motors and thereby modify transport and release of cellular cytokines.