Mycobacterium tuberculosis-reactive thymocytes

描述（由申请人提供）：结核分枝杆菌（Mtb）感染全世界约三分之一的人口。据估计，每年有800万新病例和200万人死亡，使结核病成为一个重大的健康问题。适应性细胞免疫应答在结核病的宿主控制中是必不可少的。然而，许多先天性免疫机制，需要在结核分枝杆菌的最佳获得性细胞免疫反应仍有待表征，更好地了解这种联系是一种有效的疫苗的发展至关重要。我们已经确定了一个胸腺细胞人口从人类识别结核分枝杆菌感染的抗原呈递细胞。该提议旨在1）解决Mtb反应性胸腺细胞是先天免疫应答的一个方面的假设2）鉴定与该群体相关的功能效应器机制3）表征用于Mtb反应性胸腺细胞识别的抗原加工和呈递途径。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) infects about one third of the population worldwide. An estimated 8 million new cases and 2 million deaths occur annually placing tuberculosis as a significant health problem. The adaptive cellular immune response is essential in the host control of tuberculosis. However, many of the innate immune mechanisms that are required to result in an optimal acquired cellular immune response to Mycobacterium tuberculosis remain to be characterized; a better understanding of this link is critical in the development of an effective vaccine. We have identified a thymocyte population from humans that recognizes Mtb-infected antigen-presenting cells. This proposal is designed to 1) address the hypothesis that the Mtb-reactive thymocytes are an aspect of the innate immune response 2) identify the functional effector mechanisms associated with this population 3) characterize the antigen processing and presentation pathway used for recognition by Mtb-reactive thymocytes.