The Role Of CD1-restricted T Cells In Health And Disease
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$431,000.00
Summary
The human immune system requires T cells for survival. Specialised populations of T cells exist that patrol the body and target unwanted lipid molecules expressed by bacteria or by cells that have become abnormal or cancerous. I will identify these T cells in human blood and skin and determine their role in protection against disease. I will explore the types of lipids molecules recognised by these T cells and use this information to help prevent human diseases.
A Novel Mechanism For The Regulation Of T Cell Shape And Function.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$384,398.00
Summary
T cells are a key component of the immune system, and an understanding of their regulation has already lead to important therapeutic interventions. It is now apparent that the shape of the T cell impacts upon its ability to be activated, to migrate through the body, and to kill target cells. We have identified a novel means by which T cell shape is controlled, involving a group of proteins which orchestrate molecular traffic throughout the cell. This project application is to elucidate the mecha ....T cells are a key component of the immune system, and an understanding of their regulation has already lead to important therapeutic interventions. It is now apparent that the shape of the T cell impacts upon its ability to be activated, to migrate through the body, and to kill target cells. We have identified a novel means by which T cell shape is controlled, involving a group of proteins which orchestrate molecular traffic throughout the cell. This project application is to elucidate the mechanisms by which the group of proteins regulates T cell shape and function. We will test whether the proteins act together to integrate signals throughout the entire T cell, and will test whether the proteins influence T cell function in the test tube and in the mouse.Read moreRead less
“Killer T cells” are specialised cells that help control viral infection. T cells recognize virus via proteins called “T cell receptors” (TCR). TCR are incredibly diverse, allowing us to recognise many different viruses. Recent advances in technology allow us to look at TCR and the genes encoding them, however their complexity makes that data difficult to interpret. I will use mathematical and statistical approaches to analyse and model this data to better understand immune recognition.
Investigating The Delivery Of Cytotoxic T Cell Lytic Granules And The Microenvironment Of The Immunological Synapse
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$355,169.00
Summary
T cells recognise infected or cancer cells and eliminate them from the body. They kill their targets by tightly attaching and releasing toxic proteins, which cause the target to undergo cell suicide. This research will use high resolution imaging to investigate the environment of the synapse between the two cells and understand parameters required for the delivery of a lethal hit. This will provide powerful insights into the working of the cell, and may identify novel intervention targets
Autophagy: A New Pathway For Presenting Antigen In Dendritic Cells.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$444,973.00
Summary
Microbes are chopped up and digested before being displayed to the immune system. Here we will investigate a new pathway termed _autophagy� that helps cells to digest material for immune display.
Chromatin Remodelling And Transcriptional Regulation Of CD8 T Cell Effector Gene Expression
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$531,696.00
Summary
A major role for cytotoxic, or killer, T cells is the recognition and removal of virus infected or tumor cells from a host. Upon recognition of a target host cell, killer T cells deliver a package of proteins, termed granzymes, that mediate the removal of these virus infected and tumor cells. Naive killer T cells need to be activated to start producing these effector molecules. This proposal plans to examine the factors that regulate both induction and maintanence of cell specific expression of ....A major role for cytotoxic, or killer, T cells is the recognition and removal of virus infected or tumor cells from a host. Upon recognition of a target host cell, killer T cells deliver a package of proteins, termed granzymes, that mediate the removal of these virus infected and tumor cells. Naive killer T cells need to be activated to start producing these effector molecules. This proposal plans to examine the factors that regulate both induction and maintanence of cell specific expression of these effector molecules. We plan to identify the molecular events that occur within a cells genome to turn on granzyme gene expression and how these factors influence subsequent killer T cell function. The conclusions from these studies will enable us to determine why some killer T cell responses are not effective and what can be done to improve killer T cell function. This has implications for the development of novel vaccine strategies designed to induce immunity against both viral and tumour challenges.Read moreRead less
Elucidating Immune Responses By Single Cell Pedigree And Tracing Analysis
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$666,950.00
Summary
To develop vaccines and to combat autoimmunity, we need to understand how initial immune activation influences the fate of immune cells and their progeny. To achieve this, we have developed microscopic techniques and analytical software with which to observe how initial signalling processes in the parent immune cell influence the death, proliferation and differentiation of its daughters, granddaughters and further progeny. We will use these approaches to determine how immune cell fate is control