Applying Quantitative Immunology To The Analysis Of Complex Genetic Diseases
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$864,596.00
Summary
The immune response of each individual varies. For some, the response invoked by foreign challenge is weak, leading to a lifetime of difficulty with infection. For others, the response is stronger, yielding excellent immunity, but opening the potential for overactive responses to self-material and autoimmune disease. We have a new theory for how the health of our immune system can be measured and we aim to apply it to understand the genesis of the many different forms of human immune diseases.
Characterisation Of T-cell Responses In Drug Hypersensitivity
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$306,338.00
Summary
Drug hypersensitivity reactions (DIHS) are a catastrophic form of adverse drug reaction. This study will use the drug abacavir, a cause of drug hypersensitivity to examine the way certain immune cells react and determine whether responses to viruses that are persistent in our bodies play a role these development of these reactions. This will help inform the immunological basis of DIHS as well as new treatments and potential ways of identifying drugs likely to cause these reactions in the pre-mar ....Drug hypersensitivity reactions (DIHS) are a catastrophic form of adverse drug reaction. This study will use the drug abacavir, a cause of drug hypersensitivity to examine the way certain immune cells react and determine whether responses to viruses that are persistent in our bodies play a role these development of these reactions. This will help inform the immunological basis of DIHS as well as new treatments and potential ways of identifying drugs likely to cause these reactions in the pre-marketing phase of drug development.Read moreRead less
The Role Of Long Peptide Epitopes In Antiviral CD8+ T Cell Recognition.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$434,652.00
Summary
The immune response to viral infection involves killer T cell recognition of small viral peptides presented by infected cells. Researchers have been attempting to identify the viral peptides that are recognised by T cells. Although these studies have been successful, the major aim of this project is to investigate if the role of unusually long peptides has been underestimated. This project should lead to enhanced monitoring of immune responses and improvements in vaccine design.
T cells play a pivotal role in the immune system by recognising viral peptides presented by "HLA" molecules on infected cells through the use of T cell receptors (TCRs). I will investigate the variables that influence T lymphocyte recognition of human herpesvirus infection, including variability in TCR, HLA, and viral genes. Understanding the impact of these variables on how we fight infections will aid in the development of new "intelligent" vaccines and immune-based therapies.
Determining The Biological Significance Of Allelic Sequence Variation Within The T Cell Receptor Loci
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$627,549.00
Summary
T lymphocytes play a pivotal role in the immune system by recognising virus-infected tissue through the use of highly specific T cell receptors (TCRs). This project will investigate the importance of genetic variation in the TCR genes in influencing how we fight infections. Advances in these areas will assist in understanding susceptibility to some autoimmune diseases as well as aiding in the development of new "intelligent" vaccines and individualised therapeutics.
Understanding the dynamics of T cell responses to chronic infection. The health, social, and economic impact of chronic infections on the Australian and global populations is enormous. A major obstacle to the development of vaccines against chronic infections is that we have a poor understanding of immune responses to persistent infections. We aim to use bioinformatics and mathematical modelling to understand immune responses to persistent viruses so that we can improve the long-term immune cont ....Understanding the dynamics of T cell responses to chronic infection. The health, social, and economic impact of chronic infections on the Australian and global populations is enormous. A major obstacle to the development of vaccines against chronic infections is that we have a poor understanding of immune responses to persistent infections. We aim to use bioinformatics and mathematical modelling to understand immune responses to persistent viruses so that we can improve the long-term immune control of chronic viral infections such as the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). This project will strengthen Australian research in the area of interdisciplinary approaches to immunology, which is becoming crucial to interpreting the rapidly increasing volume of data obtained using advanced experimental techniques.Read moreRead less
T cell recognition and control of virus: the balance between T cell receptor diversity and degeneracy. T cells provide an important line of defence in the immune system's resistance against infectious diseases. However, changes to the T cell population during prolonged infection, and with age, can compromise the immune system's ability to fight effectively viral infections. The proposed research will greatly improve our understanding of the recognition and control of viral infections by T cells. ....T cell recognition and control of virus: the balance between T cell receptor diversity and degeneracy. T cells provide an important line of defence in the immune system's resistance against infectious diseases. However, changes to the T cell population during prolonged infection, and with age, can compromise the immune system's ability to fight effectively viral infections. The proposed research will greatly improve our understanding of the recognition and control of viral infections by T cells. The insights gained from this research will enable us to exploit key features of T cell responses to improve the outcome of viral infections in elderly individuals and to develop better vaccines for protection against a range of infectious diseases that affect the Australian population, including HIV and Hepatitis C.Read moreRead less
Investigating the evolution of innate and adaptive cellular immunity. This proposal aims to assess the impact of geographical and genetic isolation of the Australian Indigenous population on adaptive and innate immune systems. The project will use novel DNA sequencing approaches to generate the high resolution sequences of two genetic loci that regulate innate and adaptive immune responses, the major histocompatibility complex locus and the killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptor locus. In an i ....Investigating the evolution of innate and adaptive cellular immunity. This proposal aims to assess the impact of geographical and genetic isolation of the Australian Indigenous population on adaptive and innate immune systems. The project will use novel DNA sequencing approaches to generate the high resolution sequences of two genetic loci that regulate innate and adaptive immune responses, the major histocompatibility complex locus and the killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptor locus. In an initial screen, distinct variants and combinations of these genes were identified. This project aims to interrogate how variation in these critical genes impacts on the function of cytotoxic lymphocytes, providing insights into the evolutionary drivers of immune recognition mechanisms.Read moreRead less