Translational Applications of New Insights into Immunoreceptor Signalling

T细胞生物学小组在其翻译工作中的目标是开发用于自身免疫性疾病治疗的新抗体。为了实现这一目标，我们正在努力了解白细胞表面的生物学，并将这种理解应用于新的药物样抗体的开发。白细胞是白色血细胞，其参与防御身体对抗血液和淋巴循环系统中发现的传染病和异物。白细胞的表面覆盖着蛋白质分子，其中一些是与来自感染因子或其他外来物质（如过敏原）的特定外来蛋白质片段相互作用的受体，或者在某些自身免疫性疾病的情况下，与自身抗原相互作用。当受体与它们的靶分子相互作用时，我们认为它们经历了一次重组，导致它们触发免疫反应途径。如果这些通路被不适当地触发，那么自身免疫性疾病可能会发展。天然配体触发受体的过程可以用抗体来模拟，这意味着，当我们完全理解该过程时，我们可能能够设计新的基于抗体的受体激动剂用于治疗自身免疫性疾病。

The aim of the T-cell biology group, in its translational work, is to develop new antibodies for use as therapies in autoimmune diseases. To achieve this we are working towards an understanding of the biology of the leukocyte cell surface, and to apply this understanding to the development of new drug-like antibodies. Leukocytes are white blood cells that are involved in defending the body against infectious disease and foreign materials found in the blood and lymphatic circulatory systems. The surface of leukocytes is covered in protein molecules, some of which are receptors that interact with fragments of specific foreign proteins either from infectious agents or other foreign materials, such as allergens, or, as in the case of some autoimmune diseases, to self-antigens. When the receptors interact with their target molecules, we propose that they undergo a reorganization that causes them to trigger immune response pathways. If these pathways are triggered inappropriately, then autoimmune disease can develop. The process of receptor triggering by native ligands can be mimicked with antibodies, which means that, when we fully understand the process, we may be in a position to design new antibody-based receptor agonists for use in the treatment of autoimmune diseases.