REAL-TIME ANALYSES OF MAIT CELLS' RESPONSES TO INFECTION

我们的免疫系统由许多不同的免疫细胞组成，这些细胞以协调的方式共同发挥作用，保护我们免受疾病侵袭。免疫细胞非常活跃，不断地在身体内巡逻，警惕传染性病毒和细菌。因此，免疫细胞在体内的正确位置(在正确的时间处于正确的位置)对于它们能够有效地发现和摧毁入侵的病原体是极其重要的。虽然多年来只能在体外(体外)研究对病原体的免疫反应，但最近新的显微镜技术的发展使科学家能够直接在体内和实时地观察免疫细胞对抗病原体的情况。我们的研究旨在利用这些新技术，为启动对细菌感染的免疫反应的过程提供独特的见解。我们专注于一种特定的免疫细胞--即所谓的MAIT细胞--众所周知，这种细胞在对抗细菌感染方面很重要。然而，MAIT细胞如何、在哪里以及何时在体内发现并摧毁细菌仍是未知的。在这项提议中，我们打算通过使用我们在显微镜、免疫学和微生物学方面的综合专业知识来提供这一理解，以揭示MAIT细胞对抗细菌感染的分子和过程，以及细菌如何反过来颠覆免疫系统以在宿主中生存。这项建议的发现可以作为治疗传染病的新的治疗和预防策略的基础。

Our immune system is composed by many different immune cells that function together in a coordinated fashion to protect us from disease. Immune cells are very dynamic and constantly patrol the body on the look-out for infectious virus and bacteria. Consequently, the correct location of immune cells in the body (being in the right place at the right time) is extremely important for them to be able to efficiently find and destroy invading pathogens. While for many years immune responses to pathogens could only be studied in vitro (outside the body), the recent development of novel microscopy techniques enables scientists to directly visualize -within the body and in real time- immune cells combating pathogens. Our research aims to take advantage of these novel techniques to provide unique insight into the processes that initiate immune responses to bacterial infections. We focus on a specific population of immune cells- so called MAIT cells- which are known to be important in fighting bacterial infections. However how, where and when MAIT cells find and destroy bacteria in vivo remain unknown. In this proposal we intend to provide this understanding, by using our combined expertise in microscopy, immunology and microbiology to reveal the molecules and processes by which MAIT cells fight bacterial infections and how in turn bacteria subvert the immune system to survive in the host. The findings of this proposal may serve as the foundation for novel therapeutic and prevention strategies to treat infectious diseases