Grant: Operating Grant

Our ability to fight infectious diseases relies on the triggering of an efficient immune response. This response involves several cell types and a variety of organelles within these cells. For example, during infection with the Herpes virus, infected cells will generate viral peptides through proteolytic degradation that will be presented at the cell surface on MHC class I and class II molecules. Our research program will highlight the molecular mechanisms that allow two key organelles (the phagosomes and autophagosomes)to promote the processing of viral peptides for antigen presentation. These studies will highlight cellular mechanisms and specific molecules that could be targeted to stimulate the immune response.