Gamma delta T cells are important for malaria sporozoite vaccination
- Research Opportunity
- PhD students, Masters by Research, Honours students
- Department / Centre
- Microbiology and Immunology
- Location
- Doherty Institute
Primary Supervisor | Number | Webpage | |
---|---|---|---|
Dr Lynette Beattie | lynette.beattie@unimelb.edu.au | 8344 5690 | Personal web page |
Summary Plasmodium parasites which cause malaria are extremely complex pathogens, with a life cycle involving multiple stages within the mosquito vector and the human host. We have recently shown that gamma delta T cells are crucial to the generation of immunity to liver stage infection as without this cell population present, CD4 and CD8 T cell responses are severely impaired and are dissecting the role that they play in this system using a combination of cellular assays including flow cytometry, histology and live intravital imaging.
Project Details
Plasmodium parasites which cause malaria are extremely complex pathogens, with a life cycle involving multiple stages within the mosquito vector and the human host. Sterilising immunity that can successfully protect against the liver stage of infection has many benefits, including blocking progression to clinical disease and blocking transmission back to the mosquito vector. Due to the short time frame of liver infection prior to break out into the blood stage, it is extremely hard to generate sterilising liver stage immunity. We have recently shown that gamma deltaT cells are crucial to the generation of immunity to liver stage infection as without this cell population present, CD4 and CD8 T cell responses are severely impaired. We are dissecting the role that gamma delta T cells play in this system using a combination of cellular assays including flow cytometry, histology and live intravital imaging.
Faculty Research Themes
School Research Themes
Research Opportunities
PhD students, Masters by Research, Honours students
Students who are interested in joining this project will need to consider their elegibility as well as other requirements before contacting the supervisor of this research
Key Contact
For further information about this research, please contact a supervisor.
Department / Centre
Research Group / Unit / Centre
Heath laboratory: CD8 T lymphocytes, dendritic cells, self tolerance and immunity
Research Node
Doherty InstituteMDHS Research library
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