Investigation of the roles of TNFa-related apoptosis-inducing ligand, TRAIL, in the immune system.

Funded Activity Summary

TRAIL, is a newly described member of the tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-family of cytokines, which can kill a wide range of tumour cells, and virus infected cells, but not most normal cells. TRAIL has proven to be safe when administered to normal, tumour bearing, and virally-infected mice, and causes no detectable side-effects in these animals. As such it holds huge potential and is being widely investigated for use as a new anti-cancer therapy. Despite these findings, little is known about the true physiological role of TRAIL in vivo. To define the normal roles of TRAIL, CIA has been characterising TRAIL gene knock-out mice. These studies have confirmed that TRAIL contributes to control of tumours in vivo, and in early events during anti-viral responses. However, these studies have also revealed novel roles for TRAIL in T cell biology, and B cell memory. Understanding how TRAIL contributes to these processes, will shed significant light on the potential of TRAIL to be used as a therapeutic agent for humans with lymphoproliferative disease, for illiciting better long-lived antibody responses such as after vaccination, and as an anti-viral reagent in immunocompromised individuals during virus infection.

Funded Activity Details

Start Date: 01-01-2002

End Date: 01-01-2004

Funding Scheme: NHMRC Project Grants

Funding Amount: $436,980.00

Funder: National Health and Medical Research Council

Research Topics

ANZSRC Field of Research (FoR)

Clinical chemistry (incl. diagnostics)

ANZSRC Socio-Economic Objective (SEO)

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Other Keywords

B cell memory/vaccines | anti-viral immunity | anti-viral responses | apoptosis | autoimmune lymphoproliferative disease (ALPS) | autoimmunity | death-inducing ligands and receptors | immune development and function

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