Regulation Of T Follicular Helper Cell Development And Effector Function In Health And Disease
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$419,197.00
Summary
Immune cells mature into distinct populations with specialized functions. One subsets are T follicular helper (TFH) cells which are important for instructing B cells to produce antibodies following infection or vaccination. The means by which TFH cells are generated are unknown. We will determine mechanisms whereby TFH cells are produced and how they function. We hope to design approaches that will modulate the function of TFH cells in cases of immunodeficiencies, autoimmunity or vaccination.
Targeting Antigen To Clec9A On Dendritic Cell For Humoral Immunity
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$744,624.00
Summary
Dendritic cells capture infectious organisms and display them to other immune cells to initiate immunity. The process of capturing organisms requires dendritic cells to express a variety of cell-surface receptors that detect components carried by infectious agents. Here we will examine the efficacy of attaching vaccine components to a targeting agent that binds one of these receptors with the aim of enabling dendritic cells to efficiently kick-start immunity against vaccine components.
Specialised immune cells, called cytotoxic T cells, circulate through the body, and kill infected cells to protect us from disease. We discovered that a protein, DOCK8, is important for the regulation of T cell function. Importantly, humans with mutations in the DOCK8 gene suffer from a debilitating, and potentially lethal, immunodeficiency disease. This project will therefore elucidate the role of DOCK8 in immune cells, to better understand the consequences of DOCK8 deficiency for immunity.
The Role Of Rip3 And Caspase 8 In Necroptosis And Apoptosis During Viral Infection
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$459,499.00
Summary
Programmed cell death can be beneficial or detrimental depending on circumstances. This delicate balance is most obvious during an infection. The host tries to limit the spread of a pathogen by initiating programmed death in infected cells but excessive death particularly in uninfected cells is catastrophic. It is essential to have a thorough understanding of the interplay between cell death mechanisms so we can overt pathological outcomes and this is the focus of our research.
Investigations Into The Biology And Functionality Of The Human T Cell Receptor
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$424,262.00
Summary
T lymphocytes play a pivotal role in the immune system by recognising virus-infected tissue and tumour cells through the use of specific cell surface receptors called T cell receptors (TCR). This project will study why partcular TCRs are used by the immune system, and will also examine the specificity of T cell recognition by determine the range of molecules an individual T cell can recognise. The work will aid in the development of new intelligent vaccines for cancer and infectious disease.