In Vivo Imaging Of Virus-specific T Cell Responses In The Skin
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$332,258.00
Summary
Effective vaccination against many viral infections such as Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV) may be achieved by directing the cells of the immune system to specific sites in the body where they can lie in wait against the disease. To direct the immune system in this way, we must first understand how immune cells orchestrate themselves in tissues. This project will utilise advanced imaging techniques to study immune cells in real time to understand how they protect against viral infections in the skin.
Defining The Requirements For Effective Immune Responses
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$714,745.00
Summary
The immune system rapidly responds to infectious pathogens to eradicate such microbes and limit the damage they can inflict upon the host. Individuals with primary immunodeficiencies have defects in the development and/or function of the cells of their immune system and are more susceptible to infectious diseases. This study will investigate such individuals to identify functions for specific genes and immune cells in order to understand the requirements for generating effective immune responses ....The immune system rapidly responds to infectious pathogens to eradicate such microbes and limit the damage they can inflict upon the host. Individuals with primary immunodeficiencies have defects in the development and/or function of the cells of their immune system and are more susceptible to infectious diseases. This study will investigate such individuals to identify functions for specific genes and immune cells in order to understand the requirements for generating effective immune responses.Read moreRead less
Costimulatory Mechanisms For Enhancing CD8 T Cell Responses During An Acute Respiratory Infection
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$438,750.00
Summary
Following an infection, a person's immune system responds to fight the pathogen. One of the most important consequences of the immune response to an infectious disease is the establishment of memory to that particular disease so that a person is able to clear the same pathogen faster upon subsequent exposures. This memory is due to specific cells called memory lymphocytes. One subset of these cells are called CD8+ T cells and these are important for controlling and clearing viral infections. New ....Following an infection, a person's immune system responds to fight the pathogen. One of the most important consequences of the immune response to an infectious disease is the establishment of memory to that particular disease so that a person is able to clear the same pathogen faster upon subsequent exposures. This memory is due to specific cells called memory lymphocytes. One subset of these cells are called CD8+ T cells and these are important for controlling and clearing viral infections. New vaccine strategies are aimed at improving CD8 T cell responses so that they are more effective at fighting diseases such as HIV which causes AIDS and Hepatitis C virus. The mechanisms which lead to long lived memory CD8 T cells are not well understood. This research will characterise the function of genes involved in activating CD8 T cells and producing more memory CD8 T cells. The influenza model will be used as it is a well characterised model for studying anti-viral immunity. This project involved studying the mechansims of known genes involved in CD8 T cell responses to influenza. Also the discovery of new genes which are involved in CD8 T cell memory will be identified and characterised using new novel technologies, such as ENU mutagenesis, that only now are able to be utilised since the mouse genome (DNA) has been sequenced. This research will provide a basis for design of new and more effective vaccines.Read moreRead less
My research centers on the formation and function of T cells, with particular emphasis on normal T cell homeostasis and how T cells respond to foreign antigens while tolerating self antigens.
The Phenotype Of Protective Cytotoxic T Cell Responses During Viral Infections
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$841,114.00
Summary
T cell responses are important to establish protection against pathogens and some cancer via generation of memory cells that can be maintained long term and defeat promptly re-infections. This proposal aim at determining important factors that drive the success of immunological memory by employing single cell technologies and unique longitudinal samples from subjects infected with hepatitis C virus. The finding of this study will inform current vaccine research and immunotherapies.
STAT3-mediated Regulation Of Human Antibody Responses
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$580,249.00
Summary
The immune system rapidly responds to infectious pathogens to eradicate such microbes and limit the damage they can inflict upon the host. Individuals with primary immunodeficiencies have defects in the development and/or function of the cells of their immune system and are more susceptible to infectious diseases. This study will investigate such individuals to identify functions for specific genes and immune cells in order to understand the requirements for generating effective immune responses ....The immune system rapidly responds to infectious pathogens to eradicate such microbes and limit the damage they can inflict upon the host. Individuals with primary immunodeficiencies have defects in the development and/or function of the cells of their immune system and are more susceptible to infectious diseases. This study will investigate such individuals to identify functions for specific genes and immune cells in order to understand the requirements for generating effective immune responses.Read moreRead less
Delineating Aberrant Adaptive Immune Responses Due To Germline Mutations In The PI3K Signalling Pathway
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$975,476.00
Summary
Activation of immune cells is required to generate appropriate immune responses that protect is from disease caused by pathogens. The inability to receive the correct type of signals causes immunodeficiency. The PI3 kinase pathway is central to immune cell activation – and genetic errors in this pathwat compromise the functioning of immune cells. We will investigate the nature of these defects and pursue avenues of overcoming them using pharmacological inhibitors of the PI3K pathway.
Investigating The Role Of TGF-beta In Resident Memory T Cell Induction And Maintenance
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$92,495.00
Summary
I am a research scientist interested in the immune system. Specifically, I intend to investigate immunological memory, which is the basis of vaccination. This refers to the ability of certain immune cells such as T and B cells to ‘remember’ a pathogen, so that a rapid and enhanced response can be generated upon re-infection with the same pathogen. This can be investigated by experimental techniques such as flow cytometry, histology and confocal microscopy on cells from infected mouse tissue.