Objective In allergic asthma, an important health problem, disease is driven by allergen-specific Th2 immune responses. Differentiation of Th2 cells depends on their early interactions with antigen presenting cells, such as dendritic cells (DCs), and cytokines are crucial for this process. Osteopontin (Opn) was originally identified as an important cytokine for Th1 immunity and autoimmunity. Our group recently demonstrated that Opn is highly expressed in the lungs of asthmatic patients and of mice with Th2-mediated allergic airway inflammation. Our work revealed anti-allergic effects of Opn on airway disease during secondary pulmonary antigenic challenge mediated by regulation of DC subsets. In addition, intranasal administration of recombinant Opn during pulmonary exposure to the allergen protected mice from allergic airway disease suppressing all features of disease, recruitment of Th2 cells and allergen-specific Th2 responses. Our previous experiments, as well as preliminary studies presented in this proposal, point to an important novel immunoregulatory role for Opn in the Th2 setting. However, most aspects of the Opn-mediated immune mechanism of protection remain unclear. With this proposal, we aim at elucidating the immunoregulatory/protective mechanisms of Opn utilizing immunologic, molecular and genomic approaches as well as in vivo mouse models of allergic airway inflammation. We propose to investigate the mechanisms mediating Opn-effects on: (1) DC subsets and Treg cells that confer protection during pulmonary allergen challenge (2) recruitment and function of allergen-specific Th2 (generated during sensitization) as well as of newly-activated Th effector cells and their interactions during pulmonary allergen challenge and (3) antigenic tolerance induction in the Th2 setting. The studies proposed here will provide new insight into the biology of Opn-dependent regulation of DC subsets, Th2 responses and DC-T cell interactions opening new important questions in im Fields of science medical and health sciencesclinical medicinepneumologyasthmamedical and health sciencesbasic medicineimmunology Programme(s) FP7-IDEAS-ERC - Specific programme: "Ideas" implementing the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Community for research, technological development and demonstration activities (2007 to 2013) Topic(s) ERC-SG-LS6 - ERC Starting Grant - Immunity and infection Call for proposal ERC-2009-StG See other projects for this call Funding Scheme ERC-SG - ERC Starting Grant Host institution IDRYMA IATROVIOLOGIKON EREUNON AKADEMIAS ATHINON EU contribution € 1 511 200,00 Address SORANOU EFESIOU 4 115 27 Athina Greece See on map Region Αττική Aττική Κεντρικός Τομέας Αθηνών Activity type Research Organisations Principal investigator Vasiliki Panoutsakopoulou (Dr.) Administrative Contact Dimitris Raptis (Mr.) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Total cost No data Beneficiaries (1) Sort alphabetically Sort by EU Contribution Expand all Collapse all IDRYMA IATROVIOLOGIKON EREUNON AKADEMIAS ATHINON Greece EU contribution € 1 511 200,00 Address SORANOU EFESIOU 4 115 27 Athina See on map Region Αττική Aττική Κεντρικός Τομέας Αθηνών Activity type Research Organisations Principal investigator Vasiliki Panoutsakopoulou (Dr.) Administrative Contact Dimitris Raptis (Mr.) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Total cost No data