Investigators
Isabelle Coenen, Anya C Jones, Alice A White, Siew-Kim Khoo, Peter N Le Souëf, Patrick G Holt, Deborah H Strickland, Ingrid A Laing, Jonatan Leffler
Project description
Allergic disease may be interlinked with a reduced ability to respond to respiratory virus infections in some children. This may contribute to development of virus-induced wheeze, which in turn can develop into asthma. Interferons are molecules that are used by the immune system to fight virus infections. One of the main interferon-producing immune cells are the plasmacytoid dendritic cells and their job is to detect viruses and coordinate the immune response.
The overarching aim of this project is to understand how plasmacytoid dendritic cells function in children with asthma and how genes and environmental stimuli influence these cells.
So far, our work has demonstrated that plasmacytoid dendritic cells become activated during an episode of respiratory wheeze, and we have shown that in children with resolving wheeze, these cells appear to produce a strong anti-viral response. However, in children with asthma, the anti-viral response appears much weaker.
To study this in more detail, we have developed several laboratory assays. Using these assays we have confirmed that children with asthma mount a weaker anti-virus response also in the laboratory and this may be linked to the level of allergy in these children.
We are currently developing a project to explore the genetic and environmental impact on these cells utilising twin pairs. We hope to identify strategies by which virus responses can be restored in children with asthma to reduce the burden of disease on these children.
Recent publications
Funders
- Inspiration award, Wal-yan Respiratory Research Centre
- Fellowship from the Stan Perron Charitable Foundation
External collaborators
- Emma de Jong, (UWA)
- Shihui Foo, (A-STAR, Singapore)
- Shanshan Wu Howland, (A-STAR, Singapore)
- Florent Ginhoux, (A-STAR, Singapore)
- Mari Takashima, (University of Queensland, QLD)
- Wen Ray Lee, (University of Queensland, QLD)
- Matthew D Wong, (University of Queensland, QLD)
- Dwan Vilcins, (University of Queensland, QLD)
- Peter D Sly, (University of Queensland, QLD)
- Ulrich Kadolsky, (Genomics WA)
- Ali Sadiq Cheema, (Genomics WA)
- Alka Saxena, (Genomics WA)
- Anthony Bosco, (University of Arizona, AZ, the US)
- Keith Grimwood, (Griffith University, NSW)