Karen Ridge Lab

Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2025 The 2025 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine has been awarded jointly to Mary E. Brunkow, Fred Ramsdell and Shimon Sakaguchi “for their discoveries ...

Happy #treg day everyone - congratulations to Mary Brunkow, Fred Ramsdell, Shimon Sakaguchi and to all the immunologists who have contributed to this incredible field. See our collection: www.nature.com/collections/...

Vital Research Feinberg School of Medicine professor Jeffrey Savas has been funded by a U.S. Department of Defense grant to advance his work in hearing loss; circadian rhythm expert Fred Turek at the Weinberg Colleg...

The work that happens at Northwestern makes a difference — for today and tomorrow. In this Northwestern Magazine feature, read about a few of the innovative federally funded research projects happening at the University right now:
magazine.northwestern.edu/features/res...

The Impact of Our Research The research taking place at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine has a profound impact on our community and beyond; explore our work in critical medical research and clinical trials.

NUCATS helps lead medical research and clinical trials. Fueled by federal funding, Feinberg research seeks to understand complex biological processes, develop treatments for various diseases & identify ways to implement evidence-based care, all with the goal of improving human health. bit.ly/4gOEOsI

YouTube video by Northwestern Univ. Feinberg School of Medicine Global Voices in Patient-Centered Research: Focus on Cystic Fibrosis

Introducing Global Voices in Patient-Centered Research, a new conference series highlighting how research transforms lives. Our inaugural session kicked off on Friday, July 25 with a focus on cystic fibrosis.
youtu.be/_09BjzhLwmI?...

‘Research Saved My Life’ When Toddie Hays decided to participate in nationwide genetics study, she had no idea about the life-changing information hiding in her DNA.

"Research Saved My Life" When Toddie Hays decided to participate in a nationwide genetics study, she had no idea about the life-changing information hiding in her DNA.
www.nucats.northwestern.edu/about/news/2...

Our Research Impact Showcasing the ways our research and innovation at SQLIFTS impacts the world

We'd like to share some new content on Our Research Impact at Simpson Querrey Lung Institute for Translational Sciences (SQLIFTS), now featuring Global Voices in Patient-Centered Research with a focus on cystic fibrosis: www.feinberg.northwestern.edu/sites/sqlift...

It has been fixed
give.northwestern.edu/campaigns/57...

a bit of tissue from a colon sample with H&E stain making a smiley face

Happy #MicroscopyMonday! May your samples today be as happy to see you as you are to see them!

The Impact of Our Research The research taking place at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine has a profound impact on our community and beyond; explore our work in critical medical research and clinical trials.

Feinberg leads medical research and clinical trials, fueled by federal funding. Our research has a profound impact on our community and beyond.

We invite you to learn more about the impact of our research here: www.feinberg.northwestern.edu/research/abo...

A person with a lab coat, safety glasses, and purple nitrile gloves holds a petri dish

All across Northwestern, groundbreaking research and scholarship happen daily. Our researchers look to cure disease, tackle tough questions and improve lives. Explore recent research that highlights Northwestern's research impact and learn why research matters: www.northwestern.edu/research-nu/...

Our Research Impact Showcasing the ways our research and innovation at SQLIFTS impacts the world

We proudly pursue high-impact research with the ultimate goal of improving patient care & and saving lives.

For patients & their loved ones—both now & in the future—the value of our research is incalculable.

Read about the impact of our research here: www.feinberg.northwestern.edu/sites/sqlift...

Our Research Impact Showcasing the ways our research and innovation at SQLIFTS impacts the world

We proudly pursue high-impact research with the ultimate goal of improving patient care & and saving lives.

For patients & their loved ones—both now & in the future—the value of our research is incalculable.

Read about the impact of our research here: www.feinberg.northwestern.edu/sites/sqlift...

The Gutting of America’s Medical Research: Here Is Every Canceled or Delayed N.I.H. Grant Some cuts have been starkly visible, but the country’s medical grant-making machinery has also radically transformed outside the public eye.

"The delays have stifled research on drug discovery, blood vessel health and injury response. In some cases, scientists have cut staff, paused hiring, trimmed back supplies or delayed experiments. Health officials have not explained which projects have been held up, why or for how long."

Northwestern has not received any NIH funds since March. No written communication about why or what can be done. Thank you Ben Singer for raising awareness at #ATS2025

Research Impact : Northwestern University

We're proud to contribute to Northwestern's research impact!

Learn more about other recent discoveries at Northwestern that are improving lives every day: www.northwestern.edu/research-nu/...

Some late blooming pink and white tulips in front of a sign that says "Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine"

It's been nice to see the tulips blooming on campus

Nice to see both you and vimentin in the news this morning!
news.feinberg.northwestern.edu/2025/04/28/u...

Northwestern research has a huge beneficial impact on society--advancing health and solving real problems. tinyurl.com/3wrtm6n4 #northwestern #research #innovation #funding

Happy #FluorescenceFriday! Please enjoy this mouse lung.

Inspired by and grateful for our dedicated faculty, staff, & students! Life-saving clinical trials revolutionize patient care, transforming medicine and training the physicians who will deliver it. 💜

NU research impact stories: www.northwestern.edu/research-nu/...

@nufeinbergmed.bsky.social

Research Impact : Northwestern University

We're proud to contribute to Northwestern's research impact!

Learn more about other recent discoveries at Northwestern that are improving lives every day: www.northwestern.edu/research-nu/...

Treg cell with the nucleus stained blue and vimentin immunolabeled in green. The vimentin filaments are bundled together in the distal pole complex, a caplike structure that forms opposite the immune synapse and is shown here looking like a nice little hat at a jaunty angle.

When you have a nice hat and someone mentions it and you feel nice #MicroscopyMonday

Read our paper in Cell Reports: Ma et al. 2024, Vimentin modulates regulatory T cell receptor-ligand interactions at distal pole complex, leading to dysregulated host response to viral pneumonia, bit.ly/3FiW5vH

Happy #MicroscopyMonday! From Fig 2G of our Cell Reports paper (bit.ly/3FiW5vH), wild-type mice (left) & mice with conditional vimentin knockout in Tregs (right) were infected with a sublethal dose of influenza virus; on day 21 lungs from cKO mice had less keratin 5 (green) & more Foxp3+ Tregs (red)

Please enjoy a cellular eclipse

Cancer cell with immunolabeling for vimentin in green and a red clipart bow

Happy Holidays from the Ridge Lab!

Regulatory T cells immunolabeled for vimentin in green and IL-18R in red, with Hoechst nuclear dye in blue. The top row shows a control (CT) cell with both vimentin filaments and IL-18R concentrated at the distal pole complex, a caplike structure. The bottom row shows a cell treated with the compound WFA, which disrupts the vimentin into a sparse network of short filaments, resulting in a more even distribution of IL-18R on the cell surface.

And it just wouldn't be #FluorescenceFriday without sharing Figure 7E, showing vimentin spatially sequestering IL-18R at the distal pole complex of a regulatory T cell under control conditions (CT), but IL-18R is redistributed evenly on the cell surface with the vimentin network disrupted by WFA

Highlights:
•Vimentin limits the suppressive function of Tregs
•Vimentin sequesters Treg receptors to DPC, limiting receptor-ligand interactions
•Vimentin decreases Helios+IL-18R+ Tregs in the influenza-infected lung
•Vimentin suppresses IL18R-mediated increase in Areg and impairs lung tissue repair

Graphical abstract. Summary: Forkhead box P3 (Foxp3)+ regulatory T cells (Tregs) resolve acute inflammation and repair the injured lung after viral pneumonia. Vimentin is a critical protein in the distal pole complex (DPC) of Tregs. This study reveals the inhibitory effect of vimentin on the suppressive and reparative capacity of Tregs. Treg-specific deletion of vimentin increases Helios+interleukin-18 receptor (IL-18R)+ Tregs, suppresses inflammatory immune cells, and enhances tissue repair, protecting Vimfl/flFoxp3YFP-cre mice from influenza-induced lung injury and mortality. Mechanistically, vimentin suppresses the induction of amphiregulin, an epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) ligand necessary for tissue repair, by sequestering IL-18R to the DPC and restricting receptor-ligand interactions. We propose that vimentin in the DPC of Tregs functions as a molecular switch, which could be targeted to regulate the immune response and enhance tissue repair in patients with severe viral pneumonia.

Just published in Cell Reports is our latest paper!

Vimentin modulates regulatory T cell receptor-ligand interactions at distal pole complex, leading to dysregulated host response to viral pneumonia
www.cell.com/cell-reports...

A549 cell with vimentin immunofluorescently labeled in red and the nucleus dyed blue, with sketchy turkey head and legs added

Happy Thanksgiving!

Lung adenocarcinoma cell from a mouse was treated with withaferin A then fixed and immunolabeled for vimentin in green and keratin 8 in red, with Hoechst nuclear dye in blue. The withaferin A caused the vimentin intermediate filaments to disassemble and aggregate around the nucleus. This image is a maximum intensity projection of a confocal z-stack.

Happy #FluorescenceFriday! This lung adenocarcinoma cell was treated with withaferin A, fixed, & immunolabeled for vimentin (green) & keratin 8 (red)

Read more in Berr et al 2023, Vimentin is required for tumor progression and metastasis in a mouse model of non–small cell lung cancer bit.ly/3OFzDPM