Nicotine effect on CEM model T cell line (kuo-affy-human-232861). Homo sapiens

The long-term objective of this project is to establish roles played in development and function of the immune system by nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChR) and exposure to the tobacco alkaloid, nicotine. The planned gene chip studies will allow us to assess effects of nicotine exposure on gene expression in a model T cell line, and the findings are expected to help direct further efforts. One of the biomedically-relevant hypotheses of this project is that tobacco use and nicotine exposure affect immune system development. To establish effects of nicotine exposure on gene expression in the CEM model T cell line. Immune system nAChR acting as ion channels or via novel signaling cascades mediate their effects on T cell development by altering expression of genes involved in T cell receptor rearrangements, cytokine expression, and cell death/survival decisions. CEM cells will be treated for one hour or one day with an effective dose of nicotine or with the same medium change but in the absence of nicotine. Keywords: nicotine, T cell line