 The GENETIC IMMUNOLOGY LABORATORY is led by Dr Grant Gallagher. This laboratory is currently researching four questions:
How do pathogens avoid the human immune system? A new set of molecules has been discovered that allow bacteria to sequester the signals of the immune system. By doing this, the bacteria prevent the components of the immune system from communicating effectively and so can grow more easily. We are working to understand the action of these molecules and so design agents to neutralize them.
How are immune system messengers controlled? Cytokines are the messenger molecules of the immune system. We understand that some people make these messengers more slowly than others. This allows pathogens to grow more quickly in some individuals, causing more severe disease. Understanding how human immune genetic elements control cytokine production may allow us to predict which individuals will be at greatest risk from infectious, autoimmune, malignant and inflammatory diseases.
How is immune system control altered in Crohn’s Disease? Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative Colitis are crippling diseases of the digestive system. There are strong genetic links to these diseases, which continue to be defined. We are investigating the differences in function that occur in immunogenetic variants found in these inflammatory bowel diseases, with the objective of understanding how these changes lead to and support disease.
How can new immune messengers modulate disease? Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the lungs and respiratory system. The asthma response is driven in large part by a cytokine called "interleukin-13" (IL-13). Recently, we have discovered a novel way of controlling IL-13 secretion and we are researching how to use this to re-exert control in asthma patients. |
