Impact of a neutrophil subpopulation infiltrating the lymph nodes on T-cell effector functions during ischemia-reperfusion injury: A new cellular target for immunotherapy?
During a heart attack or stroke, blood supply to a part of the heart or brain is cut off, causing tissue damage. Reperfusion injury is the additional tissue damage that occurs once the blood supply is restored. Reperfusion injury is also a complication of organ transplantation. The returning blood flow triggers an immune response that is crucial for healing. The immune response is a complex process involving different types of white blood cells. Paradoxically, this immune response can also worsen the situation, as white blood cells migrate into the inflamed tissue and cause further damage. These opposite effects result from interactions between different subtypes of white blood cells with various properties that are not yet fully understood. Dr Mathieu Benoit Voisin at Queen Mary University of London has shown that a unique set of neutrophils infiltrate the inflamed tissue of mice hearts shortly after reperfusion. Furthermore, these neutrophils interact with T-cells that are implicated in both tissue damage and repair. In this project, Dr Voisin and colleagues will study mice hearts and cultured immune cells to investigate the role of this subtype of neutrophils in tissue damage and/or repair that occurs following reperfusion of blood after a heart attack. Understanding the underlying biological mechanisms that contribute to reperfusion injury will help us to design treatments that are able to prevent it.
Project details
| Grant amount | £273,726 |
|---|---|
| Grant type | Project Grants |
| Application type | Project Grant |
| Start Date | 01 January 1900 |
| Duration | 3 years |
| Reference | PG/19/73/34663 |
| Status | In Progress |
