Objective
Immunological tolerance is essential in preventing autoimmunity. The establishment of T-cell tolerance is induced in the thymus mainly by the deletion of hazardous autoreactive T cells. Medullary thymic epithelial cells (mTECs) are critical in this process because they express a diverse repertoire of peripheral tissue-restricted self-antigens (TRAs). Hazardous developing T-cells recognizing these TRAs with a high affinity are deleted. TRA expression is regulated by a transcription factor: the autoimmune regulator, Aire. I have demonstrated that antigen (Ag)-specific interactions with autoreactive CD4+ thymocytes play a privileged role in governing the differentiation of Aire+ mTECs. Although these cell interactions are of pivotal importance for T-cell tolerance induction, the underlying molecular mechanisms remain to be characterized. This proposal will define the affinity threshold required for driving CD4+ thymocytes mediated Aire+ mTEC differentiation. We will particularly determine whether mTEC differentiation is coupled to deletion of autoreactive CD4+ thymocytes or whether it corresponds to a dissociable event. We will investigate the epigenetic regulation and the gene expression program that drive the differentiation of Aire+ mTECs induced by CD4+ thymocyte interactions. For this, we will take advantage of genetically modified mice in which Ag presentation to CD4+ T cells is selectively abrogated in mTECs. A particular emphasis will be given to the molecular and epigenetic regulation of the Aire gene locus. This work will entail the use of cutting edge techniques in molecular biology (e.g. ChIP-seq or RNA-seq) and in cellular biology (e.g. fetal thymic organoculture) and will involve the use of unique transgenic mouse models. Overall, the combination of these tools will allow us to dissect the molecular mechanisms that drive proper mTEC differentiation, which is essential for ensuring central T-cell tolerance and hence for protecting from autoimmunity.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- natural sciences biological sciences cell biology cell signaling
- natural sciences biological sciences molecular biology
You need to log in or register to use this function
We are sorry... an unexpected error occurred during execution.
You need to be authenticated. Your session might have expired.
Thank you for your feedback. You will soon receive an email to confirm the submission. If you have selected to be notified about the reporting status, you will also be contacted when the reporting status will change.
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
FP7-PEOPLE-2013-CIG
See other projects for this call
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
MC-CIG - Support for training and career development of researcher (CIG)
Coordinator
75654 PARIS
France
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.