The role of natural killer cells in host defence against varicella

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We know that the lymphocytes of our immune system are very important for control of the virus that causes chickenpox and shingles, VZV. When immunity is suppressed, for instance by cancer chemotherapy, chickenpox may be a very severe illness. Occasionally, previously healthy children become similarly unwell, prompting us to ask if their immune system is faulty. Often, none of the known causes of inherited immunodeficiency can be found, but in rare cases there is a shortage of natural killer (NK) lymphocytes. This may be giving us a clue about how VZV is contained by the normal immune system.In the first part of this project we will investigate whether and how NK cells could contribute to the control of VZV in normal individuals. We will then study antiviral immune responses in children who have suffered unusually severe chickenpox. If we are right that NK cells help to control VZV, we predict that some of these children will have inherited problems with NK function. We will try to identify which specific genes are faulty. Improved understanding of the way the immune system interacts with viruses like VZV will help us to look after a broader group of affected children and adults.