Endothelial cell activation driven by CD4+ memory T cells produced soluble factors

In this project we analyzed whole transcriptome changes in endothelial cells (ECs) in response to stimulation with activated CD4+ memory T cells produced factors. Given the central role of NF-?B signaling in EC activation we treated cells with inhibitors for canonical NF-?B signaling (IKKß inhibitor, iIKKß) and non-canonical NF-?B signaling (NF-?B inducting kinase (NIK) inhibitor, iNIK). Cells were stimulated 72h with conditioned medium (hereafter called Tm sup = 50% culture supernatant from aCD3/aCD28 activated CD4+ memory T cells; 50% RMPI supplemented with 10% FCS) and treated with iIKKß, iNIK or DMSO as a control. Other controls taken along were unstimulated DMSO treated ECs and unstimulated untreated ECs. Overall design: Examination of whole transcriptome changes in primary human umbilical cord ECs (HUVEC) stimulated with Tm sup and treated with iIKKß or iNIK.