Grant: Operating Grant

Dendritic cells are key regulatory cells of the immune system that determine whether an immune response should be initiated and if so, what type of response it should be. Receptors on the surface of dendritic cells sense disease causing agents and send signals to the dendritic cell to tell it how to respond. These signals result in the secretion of specific messenger molecules called cytokines that direct effector T cells to respond appropriately. CD45 is a regulatory molecule expressed on the surface of dendritic cells. It has an enzyme activity that modulates the signals transmitted in dendritic cells. We hypothesize that CD45 modulates the signals and messengers produced by dendritic cells to dampen inflammatory immune responses and to help prevent the immune system from attacking itself. The aim of this grant is to perform basic research to determine how CD45 modulates these signals and messengers, and how this affects the outcome of an immune response. We will use a loss of function approach to determine the role CD45 plays in regulating these responses and determine how dendritic cells lacking CD45 fight bacterial and parasitic infections. Understanding the factors that regulate dendritic cells and promote or inhibit specific types of immune responses will be of help in the design of new treatments to modulate immune responses. This is relevant to the improved health of Canadians, especially to those who suffer from inflammatory and autoimmune diseases where the magnitude and type of immune response has gone awry.