CUTANEOUS DETERMINANTS OF RESISTANCE TO LEISHMANIA

这些研究的目的是评估皮肤的作用 宿主中的辅助细胞对利什曼病的抗性。这些巨噬细胞样细胞 细胞在皮肤中形成一个由抗原提呈细胞组成的网络， 人体对抗利什曼病病原体的第一道防线。初步 研究表明，表皮细胞中的抗原提呈巨噬细胞 悬浮液选择性地携带宿主可以感染的利什曼原虫 建立有效的免疫反应。该项目的第一阶段将 检测从正常皮肤和正常皮肤中收集的皮肤辅助细胞 感染小鼠皮肤，在体外将寄生虫抗原递送给T细胞。 结果将扩展到小鼠体内模型，以研究其作用 皮肤辅助细胞在诱导保护性免疫中的作用 皮肤利什曼病。在第二阶段，辅助细胞功能将 选择性灭活及对寄生虫的影响 体外抗原递呈及对皮肤的拆分 将对体内利什曼病进行评估。第三阶段将评估 皮肤辅助细胞的能力，通常在感染期间被 血管内接种，处理和呈递来自 内脏利什曼病，一种宿主很少感染或不感染的寄生虫。 感染时的免疫力。这些实验的结果将适用于 为了了解利什曼病的发病机制，以及 开发有效的疫苗。结果也可能有助于我们的 对皮肤抗原提呈细胞的作用的认识 传染病。

The objective of these studies is to evaluate the role of the cutaneous accessory cells in host resistance to leishmaniasis. These macrophage-like cells form an anastomosing network of antigen-presenting cells in skin, the body's first line of defense against agents of Leishmaniasis. Preliminary studies have shown that antigen-presenting macrophages in epidermal cell suspensions selectively take up Leishmania parasites to which the host can mount an effective immune response. The first phase of the project will examine the ability of cutaneous accessory cells, collected from normal and infected mouse skin, to present parasite antigen to T-cells in vitro. Results will be extended to a murine in vivo model to investigate the role of cutaneous accessory cells in the induction of protective immunity to cutaneous leishmaniasis. In the second phase, accessory cell function will be selectively inactivated and the effect of this treatment on parasite antigen presentation in vitro and on the resolution of cutaneous leishmaniasis in vivo will be evaluated. The third phase will evaluate the ability of cutaneous accessory cells, normally bypassed during infection by intravascular inoculation, to process and present antigen from the agent of visceral leishmaniasis, a parasite to which the host develops little or no immunity when infected. Results from these experiments will be applicable to the understanding of pathogenesis in leishmaniasis, and to the development of effective vaccines. Results may also contribute to our understanding of the role of cutaneous antigen-presenting cells in infectious diseases.