Developmental stages of in vivo and in vitro-generated dendritic cell subsets and regulation of T cell differentiation. [ 2001 - 2002 ]

Research Grant

Researchers: A/Pr Eugene Maraskovsky (Principal investigator) ,  Prof Jonathan Cebon

Brief description Dendritic cells (DC) represent a diverse family of white blood cells that form a sentinel network throughout the body involved in the detection and eradication of pathogens and cancer cells. DC can originate from different precursor cells in the bone marrow. It is therefore possible that different types of DC perform differing functions. For instance, DC not only initiate immune responses but are also able to silence them. However, the ability of DC to instruct and orchestrate the immune response may not only depend upon their origins but also on where they encounter pathogens or cancer cells and what other signals are associated with this encounter. Due to their specialized capacity to instruct the immune response (e.g. T cells, B cells and NK cells) of impending danger, DC are used experimentally to more efficiently deliver vaccines to the immune response so as to eradicate cancer or infectious disease. However, in order to successfully use DC to deliver vaccines, one must first understand how these cells normally behave in the body and what signals can alter their functional ability to orchestrate immune responses. We can generate DC outside the body from their precursors. We can also isolate DC from the circulation. This project seeks to identify how various physiologic stimuli differentially regulate the functional behaviour of DC subsets and how this then influences the DC's ability to instruct the developing T cell immune response. Furthermore, whether these signals are the same for DC generated outside the body with those isolated from the blood. Of particular interest is whether differing types of DC and differing stages of their maturity will differentially influence the T cell's ability to secrete immune response hormones and to recognize and kill cancer cells. The findings of this study have direct implications of how to best harness DC to effectively deliver vaccines and generate potent immune responses against cancer and infectious disease.

Funding Amount $AUD 88,087.21

Funding Scheme NHMRC Project Grants

Notes Standard Project Grant