Project
Allergy in a fresh light
AlMs of the proposed project
In an attempt to find novel pathways to interfere with the activation of DCs, and thus to come up with
new therapeutic interventions, we are currently focusing on the role that epithelial cells have in
controlling DC activation, as this might be a very drugable pathway due to the exposed position of
epithelial cells to inhaled air and therapeutics carried in it via aerosol delivery. Although the epithelium
was initially considered purely in terms of barrier function, we have recently proposed that it should be
seen as a central player in the Th2 sensitization process because it can secrete a wide range of
chemokines, cytokines and growth factors capable of recruiting, activating and instructing lung DCs to
induce a pro-allergic Th2 cell response