Grant: Operating Grant

The immune system has a remarkable ability to specifically recognize "danger". The mechanisms by which the immune system discriminates between dangerous or non-dangerous proteins are highly complex and are not foolproof. When the immune systems starts to react against non-dangerous proteins, pathologies such as autoimmune diseases and allergies result. On the other hand, failure to recognize truly dangerous proteins, such as those present in tumour or virally-infected cells, can result in loss of tumour immunity or an inability to clear infections. A better understanding of how the immune system learns to accept certain proteins, and to eliminate others, will lead to the development of more rational therapies for the diseases which result when these natural mechanisms go awry. A type of white blood cells, known as T regulatory cells, represents an ideal candidate for an innovative therapy that could specifically control undesired immune responses, without affecting other aspects of the immune system. This proposal aims to address basic questions about the biology of these T regulatory cells. The studies will increase our understanding of how T regulatory cells arise naturally, how they suppress immune responses, and how they differ from normal T cells. Ultimately, the work will contribute to the application of T regulatory cells as a "cellular therapy" to control immune responses in the clinic.