Alina Ulezko Antonova
Program: Immunology
Current advisor: Marco Colonna, MD
Undergraduate university: Emory University
Research summary
My dissertation investigates the diversity and function of dendritic cells (DCs) and innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) across different human tissues and developmental stages. Using single-cell RNA sequencing and other high-dimensional computational immunology techniques, we identified a novel subset of an antigen-presenting cell expressing the transcription factor RORγt, characterized tissue-specific states of plasmacytoid DCs in children and adults, and uncovered a spectrum of group 1 ILC subtypes. Key findings include the discovery of human RORγt+ DC-like cells with proliferative potential, age- and tissue-dependent dynamics of plasmacytoid DC function and development, and the identification of tissue-imprinted NK cells phenotypically resembling ILC1s. This research provides critical insights into the heterogeneity and plasticity of innate immune cell populations, with implications for understanding immune homeostasis, inflammation, and potential therapeutic targets in autoimmune diseases and cancer.
Graduate publications
Yomogida K, Trsan T, Sudan R, Rodrigues PF, Ulezko Antonova A, Ingle H, Luccia BD, Collins PL, Cella M, Gilfillan S, Baldridge MT, Oltz EM, Colonna M. 2024 The transcription factor Aiolos restrains the activation of intestinal intraepithelial lymphocytes. Nat Immunol, 25(1):77-87.
Cao S, Fachi JL, Ma K, Ulezko Antonova A, Wang Q, Cai Z, Kaufman RJ, Ciorba MA, Deepak P, Colonna M. 2024 The IRE1α/XBP1 pathway sustains cytokine responses of group 3 innate lymphoid cells in inflammatory bowel disease. J Clin Invest, 134(13):e174198.
Ulezko Antonova A, Fachi JL, Gilfillan S, Colonna M. 2023 The thin line between conventional dendritic cells (cDCs) and group 3 innate lymphoid cells (ILC3s) in the gut. Int Immunol, 35(3):107-121.
Panda SK, Peng V, Sudan R, Ulezko Antonova A, Di Luccia B, Ohara TE, Fachi JL, Grajales-Reyes GE, Jaeger N, Trsan T, Gilfillan S, Cella M, Colonna M. 2023 Repression of the aryl-hydrocarbon receptor prevents oxidative stress and ferroptosis of intestinal intraepithelial lymphocytes. Immunity, 56(4):797-812.e4.
He M, Roussak K, Ma F, Borcherding N, Garin V, White M, Schutt C, Jensen TI, Zhao Y, Iberg CA, Shah K, Bhatia H, Korenfeld D, Dinkel S, Gray J, Ulezko Antonova A, Ferris S, Donermeyer D, Lindestam Arlehamn C, Gubin MM, Luo J, Gorvel L, Pellegrini M, Sette A, Tung T, Bak R, Modlin RL, Fields RC, Schreiber RD, Allen PM, Klechevsky E. 2023 CD5 expression by dendritic cells directs T cell immunity and sustains immunotherapy responses. Science, 379(6633):eabg2752.
Hou J, Zhou Y, Cai Z, Terekhova M, Swain A, Andhey PS, Guimaraes RM, Ulezko Antonova A, Qiu T, Sviben S, Strout G, Fitzpatrick JAJ, Chen Y, Gilfillan S, Kim DH, Van Dyken SJ, Artyomov MN, Colonna M. 2023 Transcriptomic atlas and interaction networks of brain cells in mouse CNS demyelination and remyelination. Cell Rep, 42(4):112293.
Ulezko Antonova A, Lonardi S, Monti M, Missale F, Fan C, Coates ML, Bugatti M, Jaeger N, Fernandes Rodrigues P, Brioschi S, Trsan T, Fachi JL, Nguyen KM, Nunley RM, Moratto D, Zini S, Kong L, Deguine J, Peeples ME, Xavier RJ, Clatworthy MR, Wang T, Cella M, Vermi W, Colonna M. 2023 A distinct human cell type expressing MHCII and RORγt with dual characteristics of dendritic cells and type 3 innate lymphoid cells. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 120(52)::e2318710120.