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Content archived on 2024-06-10

Identification of protective immune responses to pathogenic mycobacteria

Objective

To evaluate the role of T cell-associated lytic mechanisms in the killing of intracellular mycobacteria, and the contribution of these effector pathways to immunity against tuberculosis and leprosy.
Expected Outcome

The study will obtain scientific data allowing the relative importance of these immune responses in protection against mycobacterial disease, and the heterogeneity of the P2Z (P2X7) receptor in susceptibility to mycobacterial disease, to be evaluated.
The function of various T cell subsets in immunity to tuberculosis will be assessed in patients with tuberculosis, without or with co-infection with HIV, and in normal BCG-vaccinated healthy controls. Further studies will assess expression of the P2Z (P2X7) receptor in patients with tuberculosis or leprosy, and in healthy controls. Specific areas of investigation are as follows:

* To evaluate whether antigen-specific CD4+ and CD8+ T-cell mediated cytotoxicity reduces the survival of intracellular maycobacteria within macrophages, and the relative contribution of various cytolytic effector mechanisms to this T cell-induced macrophage death (LSHTM, London , University of Oxford, and MRC Laboratories, The Gambia)

* To assess the role of the gd T cell subset in cytolysis and cytokine secretion in tuberculosis with/without HIV co-infection (CMDT, Lisbon)

* To investigate the mechanism(s) by which extracellular ATP-induced macrophage death (occurring via the P2Z-receptor mediated pathway) reduces survival of intracellular M. bovis BCG, and to extend these studies to other pathogenic mycobacteria (University of Birmingham)

* To investigate the role of genetic heterogeneity of extracellular ATP-induced macrophage death and intracellular mycobacterial killing in conferring resistance to mycobacterial disease, by comparing P2Z (P2X7) receptor expression on monocyte-derived macrophages from patients with tuberculosis (with/without HIV), lepromatous leprosy, and endemic controls (University of Birmingham, CMDT Lisbon, MRC Laboratories, The Gambia and IMSS Mexico City).

Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)

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Topic(s)

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Call for proposal

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Funding Scheme

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CSC - Cost-sharing contracts

Coordinator

London School of Hygiene and TropicalMedicine
EU contribution
No data
Address
Keppel Street
WC1E 7HT London
United Kingdom

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Total cost

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No data

Participants (5)

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