Epidermal growth factor receptor antagonists: Effect on regulatory T cells, and use as an adjuvant treatment for infectious disease

表皮生长因子受体拮抗剂：对调节性 T 细胞的影响，并用作传染病的辅助治疗

• 批准号: MR/M018911/1
• 负责人: Jame McCrae
• 金额: $ 38.93万
• 依托单位: University of Edinburgh
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Fellowship
• 财政年份: 2015
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2015 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=MR%2FM018911%2F1
• 关键词: Epidermal; growth; factor; receptor; antagonists

Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is a protein present on the surface of several human body cells, and some white blood cells. When it is activated it triggers cells to grow and change their function. Recently, our group has discovered that regulatory white blood cells (WBC), whichreduce inflammation, respond to EGFR signals. Our aims are to see if by blocking this signal, we can stop regulatory WBCs from being activated, so improving the bodys immune response (i.e. its ability to recognise & fight infection).If regulatory WBCs can be manipulated in this way, then we may be able to use EGFR-blocking drugs to improve the immune response to infection/immunisation. We will study this using a drug that blocks EGFR. We will use a chronic worm infection of mice, as they activate regulatory WBCs to promote their own survival. We will then examine the effect of EGFR signals on a commonly used virus vaccine to see if the immune response to vaccination can be improved by blocking EGFR.

表皮生长因子受体（EGFR）是一种存在于多种人体细胞和一些白细胞表面的蛋白质。当它被激活时，它会触发细胞生长并改变其功能。最近，我们的研究小组发现，减少炎症的调节性白细胞 (WBC) 对 EGFR 信号有反应。我们的目的是看看是否通过阻断这个信号，我们可以阻止调节性白细胞被激活，从而改善人体的免疫反应（即识别和抵抗感染的能力）。如果可以通过这种方式操纵调节性白细胞，那么我们也许能够使用EGFR阻断药物来改善对感染/免疫的免疫反应。我们将使用一种阻断 EGFR 的药物来研究这一点。我们将使用小鼠的慢性蠕虫感染，因为它们会激活调节性白细胞以促进自身的生存。然后我们将检查 EGFR 信号对常用病毒疫苗的影响，看看是否可以通过阻断 EGFR 来改善疫苗接种的免疫反应。