Immune Regulation, Effector Function and Human Therapy

免疫系统在保护宿主免受病毒和细菌感染以及抑制癌症的发生和发展方面发挥着重要作用。免疫过程通过特化细胞与可溶性因子（如干扰素和白细胞介素）一起进行。这些可溶性因子可以调节免疫细胞的活性，抑制异常（病毒感染、癌症）细胞的生长和存活。不幸的是，免疫系统有时会失去特异性并攻击宿主，导致自身免疫性疾病，如糖尿病。这个研究小组在描述免疫细胞的特定活动和相关因素方面发挥了至关重要的作用。重要的是，他们正在破译这些免疫成分错综复杂的通讯网络，并剖析它们的作用模式。通过了解这些复杂的过程，该团队的目标是利用我们自身免疫系统的独特治疗特性，并将他们的发现转化为临床。该团队正在开发新的基于免疫的疗法，可以单独使用，也可以与现有的化学疗法联合使用，以对抗癌症和自身免疫性疾病等使人衰弱的人类疾病。

The immune system plays an important role in protecting the host from viral and bacterial infections, and inhibits cancer onset and progression. Immune processes proceed through specialised cells in conjunction with soluble factors such as inteferons and interleukins. These soluble factors can regulate the activities of immune cells, and inhibit the growth and survival of aberrant (virus infected, cancer) cells. Unfortunately, the immune system can sometimes lose specificity and attack the host, resulting in autoimmune diseases such as diabetes. This research team has played a vital role in characterising the specific activities of immune cells and the associated factors. Importantly, they are deciphering the intricate communication networks of these immune components and dissecting their modes of action. By understanding these complex processes, the team aims to harness the unique therapeutic properties of our own immune system and translate their findings into the clinic. The team is developing new immune-based therapies for use, either alone or in combination with existing chemotherapies to fight debilitating human diseases such as cancer and autoimmune disease.