Discovering Molecular Signatures Of Human T Follicular Helper Cells And Antibody Producing B Cells To Improve Vaccine Efficacy And Transplation Outcomes
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$408,768.00
Summary
A key way the body can fight off infections is to produce antibodies, a process that requires the coordinated efforts of multiple types of specialised immune cells. A more detailed understanding the factors that govern robust antibody responses is critically needed and will be investigated in this project in the context of vaccination and transplant rejection.
The Regulation Of Monocyte Derived Dendritic Cells (moDCs) During Allograft Rejection
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$110,218.00
Summary
Islet transplantation can cure type 1 diabetes, but the required drugs for immunosuppressing graft rejection have side effects. Therefore understanding how immune rejection occurs so that we can suppress in a more discreet selective way is our goal. A type of cell that is prominent during graft rejection is the monocyte derived dendritic cell. We propose that this cell is critical for orchestrating immune responses during rejection. Therefore we wish to determine how such cells are controlled.
Characterisation Of The Antigen Cross-presentation Pathway In Dendritic Cells
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$593,888.00
Summary
T cells and Dendritic Cells (DC) are important components of the immune system. DC detect bacterial and viral infections and activate T cells to fight those infections. Our goal is to understand how DC communicate with T cells. This knowledge will allow us to develop new vaccines and to interfere with the mechanisms that enable infectious agents to escape detection.
Understanding the factors that control T cell responses has been a major focus of immunology. Despite this effort the factors that control T cell development, homeostasis and function are still only incompletely understood. Accordingly we have been studying the TNF-family cytokine BAFF (B cell activation factor of the TNF-family) in relation to T cell behaviour and function. Though BAFF was first described as being critical for B cell development and maturation, a number of lines of evidence ind ....Understanding the factors that control T cell responses has been a major focus of immunology. Despite this effort the factors that control T cell development, homeostasis and function are still only incompletely understood. Accordingly we have been studying the TNF-family cytokine BAFF (B cell activation factor of the TNF-family) in relation to T cell behaviour and function. Though BAFF was first described as being critical for B cell development and maturation, a number of lines of evidence indicate that BAFF may be important in T cell biology. Current studies suggest that BAFF exerts a pro-inflammatory effect upon T cell responses. Surprisingly then, when we examined the role of BAFF upon T cell function in vivo in the context of the allo-immune response, we found that ~60% of BAFF transgenic mice failed to reject a fully-mismatched allograft. Intriguingly, BAFF transgenic mice exhibited an increased number of CD4+ CD25+ Foxp3+ cells in the periphery and in vivo depletion of these CD25+ cells restored the ability of BAFF transgenic mice to reject an allograft. We hypothesize that BAFF plays a potentially powerful anti-inflammatory role in regulating certain T cell dependent immune responses. Our data suggests that BAFF can modulate T cell function by effecting T cell regulation.Read moreRead less