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.
Control Of Pathogenic Antibody Responses In Humans
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$763,845.00
Summary
Deficient or inappropriate antibody responses are at the core of many autoimmune diseases, allergies, food intolerances, and often explain the failure of vaccination strategies. Specialised follicular T cells control the quality of antibodies produced by B cells. This fellowship will combine basic studies investigating B cell helper or regulatory follicular T cells in humans with genetic studies identifying the causes of autoantibody-driven diseases. The results will uncover targeted therapies.
The cell types of the blood, such as red and white blood cells, are produced in the bone marrow from a rare stem cell. The stem cell uses a handful of important master-regulatory genes that act in a hierarchy to promote the blood cell differentiation process. This research aims to understand how these master-regulators function in isolation and together in producing the white blood cells that are required for our immune response to microbes, vaccination and to prevent cancer.