An investigation into the role of DOCK8 in adaptive immunity

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The aim of this project is to understand the role of a novel protein called DOCK8 in the development of immunity to infections. The normal immune response to a vaccine or infection depends on the formation and co-ordinated movement of white blood cells, but we have found that these processes are disrupted when DOCK8 is deficient. In particular, we have found that DOCK8 is required for the survival of the while blood cells that are being selected as part of an antibody response. Our study aims to discover how DOCK8 has such a specific effect on the immune response to vaccines and if these effects may generalized to other processes. The work will help to identify the biological processes underlying the response to vaccines and infections. This is potentially important for the control of human disease, and DOCK8 itself is a potential target for drugs that could suppress the human immune response during inflammation or transplant rejection. Our results from this project will be communicated to the public through Oxford University, websites and other media.