The role of B-lymphocytes, T-lymphocytes and antigen-presenting cells in the human immune response to pneumococcal polysaccharides.

Streptococcus pneumoniae is an important pathogenic bacterium. It is the most important cause of pneumonia and an important cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. The pneumococcal polysaccharides (caps-PS) are an important determinant of virulence and anti-caps-PS antibodies confer protection against infection. Our knowledge on the regulation of the immune response to S. Pneumoniae in general and to caps-PS in particular is limited. Current research proposal is a continuation of previous work and aims at the elucidation of the molecular and immunological mechanisms that govern the regulation of the human immune response to S. pneumoniae. The following points will be explicitly addresssed: · To unravel the role of distinct B lymphocyte subsets (naive versus IgM memory versus switched memory B lymphocytes) in the immune response to S. pneumoniae. · To unravel the mechanisms by which T lymphoycytes and antigen presenting cells affect the immune response to caps-PS [role of MHC-II, CD1, TLR]. The proposed project should enhance our understanding of the immunological mechanisms that govern the immune response to S. pneumonia.

Keywords:Streptococcus pneumoniae

Disciplines:Immunology