Objective The microbiota has an enormous influence on human health. CD4+ T cells play a central role in controlling the interaction with the microbiota. By specifically reacting against individual microbial species, T cells enable a mutualistic co-existence with microbes. Inappropriate T cell responses against microbes are in turn associated with inflammatory diseases. Thus, the combination of T cell specificity and functionality form the key determinant for physiological versus pathological host-microbiota interactions. So far, research on T cell-microbiota interaction is almost exclusively focussed on functional T cell subsets, whereas antigen-specificity is rarely addressed. This is a significant roadblock for developing targeted therapeutic interventions for microbiota-associated diseases.The interaction with the microbiota poses two particular challenges for adaptive immunity: first, the extremely high diversity of microbial species, and thus potential T cell targets; second, microbes are persistent and thus probably encountered chronically. Currently, we do not know (1) which microbes are targets of specific T cell reactivity in humans, (2) how the (chronic) interaction with the huge number of different microbial species is regulated by T cell specificity and function, and (3) how alterations of these parameters contribute to microbiota-associated diseases.I developed a highly sensitive technology to detect and deeply characterize microbe-specific T cells directly from human samples. MicroT will identify microbial target species of human T cells and unravel the molecular mechanisms regulating chronic interaction of T cells with the highly diverse microbiota. I will define the impact of specific T cell-microbiota interactions on chronic inflammatory diseases and upon ageing. Answering these fundamental questions of microbiota-T cell interaction will identify specific immune or microbial targets as an essential basis for rational development of novel targeted therapies. Fields of science medical and health scienceshealth sciencesinflammatory diseases Programme(s) HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC) Main Programme Topic(s) ERC-2021-STG - ERC STARTING GRANTS Call for proposal ERC-2021-STG See other projects for this call Funding Scheme HORIZON-AG - HORIZON Action Grant Budget-Based Coordinator UNIVERSITATSKLINIKUM SCHLESWIG-HOLSTEIN Net EU contribution € 1 500 000,00 Address Ratzeburger allee 160 23562 Lübeck Germany See on map Region Schleswig-Holstein Schleswig-Holstein Lübeck, Kreisfreie Stadt Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Participation in EU R&I programmes Opens in new window HORIZON collaboration network Opens in new window Other funding € 0,00 Participants (1) Sort alphabetically Sort by Net EU contribution Expand all Collapse all Third-party Legal entity other than a subcontractor which is affiliated or legally linked to a participant. The entity carries out work under the conditions laid down in the Grant Agreement, supplies goods or provides services for the action, but did not sign the Grant Agreement. A third party abides by the rules applicable to its related participant under the Grant Agreement with regard to eligibility of costs and control of expenditure. CHRISTIAN-ALBRECHTS-UNIVERSITAET ZU KIEL Germany Net EU contribution € 0,00 Address Olshausenstrasse 40 24118 Kiel See on map Region Schleswig-Holstein Schleswig-Holstein Kiel, Kreisfreie Stadt Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Participation in EU R&I programmes Opens in new window HORIZON collaboration network Opens in new window Other funding € 0,00
