Identification of VIMP as a gene inhibiting cytokine production in human CD4+ effector T cells by Capelle et al.

Using a systems-immunology correlation-network-guided approach, here we identified VIMP (VCP-interacting membrane protein), one of the 25 genes encoding selenoproteins in humans, as a gene regulating the effector functions of human CD4 T cells, especially production of several cytokines including IL2 and CSF2. We identified VIMP as an endogenous inhibitor of cytokine production in CD4 effector T cells via both, the E2F5 transcription regulatory pathway and the Ca2+/NFATC2 signaling pathway. Our work not only indicates that VIMP might be a promising therapeutic target for various inflammation-associated diseases, but also shows that our network-guided approach can significantly aid in predicting new functions of the genes of interest.