Centre for Innate Immunity & Infectious Disease Student Projects

Molecular regulation of Immunity Research Projects

New models of interferon receptor signaling to regulate immune responses
Project leader:  Prof Paul Hertzog
Phone:  9594 7206

The type I interferons (IFNs) are a family of >15 related proteins that are important in regulating physiological responses and host defence.  However, little is known about how different types of responses are initiated. We have recently discovered a new mechanism of signaling, whereby a soluble IFN receptor binds ligands and presents it to the other receptor chain to transduce a signal. Evidence suggests that different immune cell types contain different levels of receptors and thus may signal via “conventional” or these new “transsignaling” mechanisms.  We will examine the importance of these different types of signaling in haemopoiesis, immune responses and infectious diseases. Techniques will include cellular and molecular dissection of immune responses, signaling molecule activation by flow cytometry and  PCR analysis of gene expression.


Novel signaling pathways in host defence
Project leader:  Prof Paul Hertzog
Phone:  9594 7206

Interferons (IFNs) are proteins produced by the body to protect against disease.  They have the amazing capacity for different effects that include inhibition of viral infection, regulation of cell proliferation and activation of most effector cells of the immune system.  Our goal is to understand the molecular mechanism whereby these effects are induced so that more effective disease therapies can be produced through specific activation of these pathways. This project will use typical signal transduction procedures including: immunoprecipitation, phosphorylation detection, protein-protein interactions, cells from mice with targeted gene disruptions, microarray data and bioinformatics analyses of data to discover novel signals.


TIM TAMs: tumour infiltrating/associated macrophages - their role in anti-tumour immunity
Project leader:  Dr Bernadette Scott
Phone:  9594 7221

Many tumours are found to contain macrophages. Whilst macrophages can be shown to have anti-tumour effects they are often associated with progressive tumour growth. We are investigating how the loss of macrophages within the tumour environment not only affects tumour growth but also how the adaptive immune response to the tumour is altered.  We will be utilizing a number of techniques including macrophage depletion, immune assays of T cell function and in vitro culture methods in this project. By understanding these interactions we may be able to formulate models of how the innate and adaptive immune responses co-ordinate to stop tumour growth.

Gene regulation in inflammatory disease
Project leader:   Dr Trevor Wilson
Phone:  9594 7226

Inflammatory diseases are a major burden on the health-care system and a significant contributor to reduced quality of life. For example, septic shock is a deadly systemic disease which accounts for 10% of admissions to intensive care units and COPD is a global health problem predicted to become the world’s number 3 killer by 2020. These diseases result from hyperactivation or chronic activation of inflammatory cells respectively.  In order to develop novel, more effective therapies for these diseases the mechanisms which regulate inflammatory gene activation need to be further elucidated.  This project investigates the role of the gene regulators Ets1 and Ets2 in macrophages, which have a central role in the induction and regulation of inflammation.  Functions of these cells include production of a variety of cytokines, phagocytosis, antigen presentation and lysis.  This project will use resources such as RNA interference, conditional knockout mice and embryonic stem cells to elucidate the function of Ets2 in macrophages and disease.