Role of discoidin domain receptor 1 in T cell migration

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Cell migration is an important process in living organisms and occurs  during development, wound healing and immune surveillance. During infections  specific cells of the immune system called T lymphocytes must reach the infectious sites to kill the cells infected by viruses. These cells also protect the organism against the presence of tumor cells by directly killing them. These cells can also contribute to chronic inflammatory diseases. To be able to achieve these functions, these T lymphocytes must migrate through specific components of the tissues called collagens to reach their targets. Understanding the mechanisms by which T lymphocytes migrate through collagens is crucial for better understanding the how our immune system works, which will ultimately contribute to the design of new therapies. We have found that one receptor called DDR1 expressed on the surface of T cells is crucial for migration in collagen. We intend to characterize the mechanisms by which this DDR1 works to promote the migration of T cells and define how its expression is modulated on T cells. Our studies will provide new data on the basic mechanisms implicated in the migration of T cells and will further our understanding of the host defense response to infections and cancers and of the inflammatory response.