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Natural killer cell tolerance
Research description:
Placed at the interphase between the innate and adaptive arms of immunity, Natural Killer (NK) cells have been implicated both as regulatory cells and effector cells in immune responses. The overall goal of the work performed in my laboratory is to understand the molecular control of NK cell function. To achieve this goal, we study NK cells at three different levels of resolution. The first levels is represented by basic studies of NK cell biology, focussing on the use of genetically modified experimental animals, confocal imaging, mathematical modeling and cutting edge in vitro techniques such as microarrays and proteomics. We are particularly interested in how self tolerance in NK cells is controlled and how inhibitory Ly49 receptors and their MHC class I ligands may regulate this process. The second level studies the role of NK cells in disease model, with a focus on the pathogenesis of type 1 diabetes. Using animal models, we focus both on the basic properties of NK cells in mice with diabetes and on the role of NK cells in disease pathogenesis. The third level is translational. It tests hypotheses generated from experimental models in patients in order to to reach a deeper understanding of NK cells in children with diabetes. The major goal with our my work is to identify new molecular targets for future drugs will allow the manipulations of NK cells in vivo in patients with autoimmune diseases and cancer.
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