The role and function of macrophages in cellular xenograft rejection

Funded Activity Summary

The long term objective of this project is to develop pig insulin secreting tissue as a treatment for type 1 diabetes. At present the main barrier to this is rejection. In paricular a type of white blood cell called macophages has an important role in causing the rejection seen in xenotransplantation (the transplantation of pig tissue into humans). Our reseach group has made novel observations which show that the way macrophages respond to a xenotransplant is different to the way it behaves to the transplant of an organ from the same species. In the rejection of pig insulin secreting tissue, macrophages are able to respond in the absence of ongoing signals from T cells. This project aims to identify the receptors on macrophages that are responsible for this response. In particular those receptors that are important for facilitating the migration of macrophages to the transplant site and the receptors that allow macrophages to distinguish self from non-self will be analysed. Hopefully these receptors will be used as targets for new therapeutic agents that could be used to prevent the strong rejection response that occurs when pig insulin secreting tissue is transplanted into humans.

Funded Activity Details

Start Date: 01-01-2003

End Date: 01-01-2005

Funding Scheme: NHMRC Project Grants

Funding Amount: $323,250.00

Funder: National Health and Medical Research Council

Research Topics

ANZSRC Field of Research (FoR)

Dermatology

ANZSRC Socio-Economic Objective (SEO)

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Other Keywords

Diabetes | Immunology - Transplantation | Islet transplantation | Macrophages | Organ Failure | Rejection | Xenotransplantation

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