Elucidation of mechanisms that restrict the activation of Toll-Like Receptors and the IL-1 receptor to prevent inflammatory and autoimmune diseases

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The immune system is vital for defense against microbial pathogens, such as bacteria and viruses, but if it is activated too strongly or cannot be switched off efficiently, it can cause serious tissue damage and lead to many inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. These diseases include arthritis, asthma, colitis, fibrosis, lupus, psoriasis and sepsis, which affect the lives of millions of people. It is therefore critical to not only understand the mechanisms that switch on the immune system, but also those that prevent it from being activated to strongly and those that switch it off again when it is no longer needed. Our research proposal builds on novel and exciting recent findings made by our research teams, which have advanced the understanding of how the immune system is kept under control and switched off. In the longer term, our research may lead to the development of improved drugs to treat inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. It may also help to treat some forms of cancer because the immune system has a key role in helping to destroy the tumour cells that cause cancer. With these aims in mind, we are working will both University researchers and pharmaceutical companies to launch and accelerate the development of new medicines to treat these diseases that target key controller proteins that our research has identified.