Objective Viral infections, and the associated tumors and disease that they cause, are a major source of economic and social burden in Europe. There is an urgent need to understand the basic mechanisms behind their pathogenesis to accelerate the rational design of vaccines and therapeutics. The training of highly skilled immunologists is vital to support this process. Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is a medically important infection, responsible for a diverse range of severe pathologies, including acute infectious mononucleosis (AIM), head and neck cancers and immuno-proliferative disorders. Cross-reactive memory T cells have recently been found to play a role in mediating EBV-induced AIM. This proposal aims to systematically dissect the mechanisms of CD8 T cell cross-reactivity in children, young adults and the elderly using EBV as an example of viral infection in humans. Using a combination of novel and sophisticated molecular and cellular techniques, these studies will 1) examine the role of T cell cross-reactivity in the development of clonal dominance patterns, 2) identify novel cross-reactive ligands, 3) characterize the functional and phenotypic characteristics of cross-reactive CD8 T cells, and 4) determine the binding kinetics of cross-reactive T cells with various ligands. It is highly likely that these cross reactive T cell responses to EBV only begin to scratch the surface of the prevalence and potential impact of heterologous immunity on vaccines and immunopathology. This training will be carried out in the Selin laboratory that has pioneered the field of heterologous immunity, and in the Price laboratory that has developed unique tools to probe the molecular mechanisms behind these phenomena. This training will provide a solid foundation for the long-term career development of the researcher, and endow her with an essential tool-box of resources, complementary skills and knowledge to perform outstanding research on viral immunopathogenesis in Europe. Fields of science natural sciencesbiological sciencesmicrobiologyvirologymedical and health sciencesbasic medicinepharmacology and pharmacypharmaceutical drugsvaccinesmedical and health sciencesbasic medicinepathologymedical and health sciencesclinical medicineoncologyhead and neck cancer Keywords CD8 T cells Epstein-Barr virus Herpes viruses Immunopathology Medical microbiology Vaccines Programme(s) FP7-PEOPLE - Specific programme "People" implementing the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Community for research, technological development and demonstration activities (2007 to 2013) Topic(s) PEOPLE-2007-4-1.IOF - Marie Curie Action: "International Outgoing Fellowships for Career Development" Call for proposal FP7-PEOPLE-2007-4-1-IOF See other projects for this call Funding Scheme MC-IOF - International Outgoing Fellowships (IOF) Coordinator CARDIFF UNIVERSITY EU contribution € 240 373,81 Address NEWPORT ROAD 30 36 CF24 0DE Cardiff United Kingdom See on map Region Wales East Wales Cardiff and Vale of Glamorgan Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Administrative Contact Nick Bodycombe (Mr.) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Total cost No data