Lymph Node Stromal Cells: Phenotype, Function And The Induction Of Tolerance
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$340,550.00
Summary
Autoimmune diseases, where the immune system kills our own tissue, are initiated in lymph nodes. Lymph node structural cells, called fibroblastic reticular cells (FRC), kill white blood cells capable of reacting against the body's own proteins. FRC could be used to prevent diseases like type I diabetes, but little is understood about their actions. We propose to study the way they work and their potential to prevent or treat autoimmunity when transplanted in mice.
Functional Suicide Of Selected Dendritic Cells By Cytochrome C: An In Vivo Model Lacking Cross-presentation
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$597,476.00
Summary
Certain white blood cells (dendritic cells) activate the immune system, especially its T cells. Infection of such cells elicits killer T cell responses. However not all infections infect dendritic cells. In such cases, the infectious material is eaten by dendritic cells and moved to certain areas within the cell. This process is called cross-presentation and how important it is during various diseases remains moot. We now have a model of testing this by eliminating these cross-presenting cells.