NK Cell Subsets And Their Role In Immune Responses
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$173,522.00
Summary
Natural killer (NK) cells are 5-10% of white blood cells of the immune system that represent one of our first lines of defense against microbes and cancer development. Recent evidence strongly suggests that NK cells are major cells of importance in the immune system, not only in acting as killers of cancer cells or virus-infected cells, but also in regulating the adaptive memory components of the immune response. Despite our greater knowledge of NK cell biology, we still know very little about t ....Natural killer (NK) cells are 5-10% of white blood cells of the immune system that represent one of our first lines of defense against microbes and cancer development. Recent evidence strongly suggests that NK cells are major cells of importance in the immune system, not only in acting as killers of cancer cells or virus-infected cells, but also in regulating the adaptive memory components of the immune response. Despite our greater knowledge of NK cell biology, we still know very little about the diversity that exists within the NK cell population. The development and maturation of NK cells requires far greater study and this proposal aims to examine this question in the best experimental model, the mouse. We have recently made an important breakthrough concerning the distinct functional behavior of newly discovered NK cell subsets. We now aim to develop a more integrated model of NK cell development, such that vaccines and adjuvants designed to prevent and ameliorate lethal and chronic infectious diseases and cancer can be more rationally designed.Read moreRead less