Model system for genetic and chemical probing of tertiary lymphoid organ formation

肺部每天都暴露在灰尘和微生物中。肺的免疫系统在响应这些压力/威胁以保护宿主方面是有效的，但是解释这种效率的机制仍然被误解。一种称为诱导型支气管相关淋巴组织的结构最近被证明可以增强肺部对微生物的防御，并足以清除靶向气道的病毒（如引起流感的病毒）。尽管诱导型支气管相关淋巴组织的重要性日益增加，但其形成机制仍存在误解。鞘脂（一类内源性信号分子）最近成为肺免疫系统的关键调节因子。虽然鞘脂可能是诱导型支气管相关淋巴组织形成的决定因素，但其对该过程的作用仍不清楚。因此，本项目的目标是确定鞘脂如何调节诱导型支气管相关淋巴组织的形成。我们将对微生物诱导支气管相关淋巴组织形成的小鼠模型进行表征。然后，我们将制定策略，用各种实验药物靶向参与这一过程的细胞。 一系列遗传（基因失效）和化学策略（抑制或激活特定靶点的分子）将被结合起来，以描述鞘脂如何调节诱导型支气管相关淋巴组织形成的众多步骤。确定诱导型支气管相关淋巴组织如何发育将进一步加深我们对肺免疫系统如何工作的理解。该计划还将推进实验策略，以研究肺免疫防御背景下的信号脂质。该计划将导致在免疫学，肺生物学和信号脂质领域的高素质人才的培训。我们的研究结果将被记录在小生物活性分子和肺生物学领域的专业期刊上;以及以免疫调节和细胞生物学为主题的广泛兴趣期刊上。

Lungs are exposed daily to dust and microbes. The immune system of the lung is efficient at responding to these stresses/threats to protect the host, but mechanisms explaining this efficiency are still misunderstood. A structure called inducible bronchus-associated lymphoid tissue was recently shown to enhance pulmonary defense against microbes, and to be sufficient for clearance of viruses targeting the airways (like viruses causing flu). In spite of the increasing importance of inducible bronchus-associated lymphoid tissue, the mechanisms involved in its formation are misunderstood. Sphingolipids (a class of endogenous signaling molecules) lately emerged as key regulators of the pulmonary immune system. Although, sphingolipids are likely determinants of inducible bronchus-associated lymphoid tissue formation, their contribution to this process is still unknown. The goal of this program is thus to define how sphingolipids regulate inducible bronchus-associated lymphoid tissue formation. We will characterize murine models of inducible bronchus-associated lymphoid tissue formation in response to microbes. Then, we will develop strategies to target cells involved in this process with various experimental agents. An array of genetic (invalidation of genes) and chemical strategies (molecules that inhibit or activate specific targets) will be combined to delineate how sphingolipids regulate the numerous steps of inducible bronchus-associated lymphoid tissue formation. Determining how inducible bronchus-associated lymphoid tissue develops will further our understanding of how the pulmonary immune system works. This program will also advance experimental strategies to study signaling lipids in the context of pulmonary immune defense. This program will result in the training of highly qualified personnel in the fields of immunology, lung biology and signaling lipids. Our results will be documented in specialized journals in the fields of small bioactive molecules and lung biology; as well as in broad interest journals with topics of regulation of immunity and cell biology.