Controlling inflammation during influenza infection
Hands-on biomedical science projects are available to investigate and understand Tr1 cell mediated control of tissue damage during influenza infection.
Tr1 cells are a recently-identified, poorly understood subset of regulatory CD4+ T cells that produce the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10.
In mice, these cells accumulate in influenza infected lungs and appear to promote tissue repair and limit excessive lung inflammation. However, the mechanisms used by Tr1 cells to promote tissue repair are unknown.
In this project, we will investigate the role of Tr1-expressed molecules in regulating lung inflammation following influenza infection. We will use T cell-specific gene knock out mice in the context of influenza infection and transfer Tr1 cells into Tr1 cell-deficient mice.
The project will involve mouse models of respiratory infection, multi-parameter flow cytometry, histology, microscopy, RT-qPCR and molecular biology.
Reference:
- Zhang, P et al., Eomesodermin promotes the development of type 1 regulatory T (TR1) cells, Science Immunology
Supervisors
Co-supervisor: Professor Shaun McColl
Research area: Chemokine Biology Lab, School of Biological Sciences
Recommended honours enrolment: Honours in Molecular and Biomedical Science