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Content archived on 2024-06-18

The origin and function of CD20 positive T-cells in health and disease

Objective

"The expression of CD20 is generally assumed to be restricted to lymphocytes of the B-cell lineage. However, there is accumulating evidence that a small subpopulation of T-cells also express CD20. These CD20+ T-cells, which might be described as “insane in their membrane”, were first reported in 1993. The role of these cells in the immune system, however, has never been addressed. The preliminary data presented in the current proposal indicates that the vast majority of these CD20+ T-cells are in fact effector memory T-cells (TEM). Moreover, preliminary data implicate these CD20+ TEM cells in the pathogenesis of Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) and Ovarian Cancer (OC). In RA patients, these CD20+ TEM cells secrete large amounts of the pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-17. In OC patients, CD20+ TEM cells account for a striking 20% of all resident T-cells in the peritoneal fluid of patients. Taken together, these findings suggest that CD20+ TEM cells may represent a thus far neglected, but important, immune cell population involved in the pathogenesis of major human diseases like auto-immunity and cancer.
The aim of the current proposal is to determine the origin and function of CD20+ TEM cells in healthy individuals, and determine their involvement in auto-immune and cancer progression.
To this end, we will determine the precise phenotype of CD20+ TEM cells, their broad antigen-specificity, and changes that occur within this population during RA/OC progression. In addition, we will determine if CD20+ T-cells can be induced from naive T-cells. Finally, we will perform preliminary experiments to determine whether CD20+ T-cells might be used for cancer immunotherapy, or selectively eliminated for treatment of auto-immune disease."

Call for proposal

FP7-PEOPLE-2011-IEF
See other projects for this call

Coordinator

THE UNIVERSITY OF EXETER
EU contribution
€ 104 516,70
Address
THE QUEEN'S DRIVE NORTHCOTE HOUSE
EX4 4QJ Exeter
United Kingdom

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Region
South West (England) Devon Devon CC
Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
Administrative Contact
Gaynor Hughes (Ms.)
Links
Total cost
No data