Immunogenetics of antiviral immunity in ducks

我的研究项目主要集中在鸭子的免疫反应上，试图了解鸭子和流感病毒的宿主-病原体关系。鸭子是自然界流感病毒的主要宿主和宿主。虽然鸭子不断感染流感，但大多数毒株几乎不会引起它们的病变。免疫反应的三个方面参与了流感清除；包括干扰素在内的先天反应、包括杀伤T细胞在内的细胞免疫和抗体。先前的研究表明鸭的抗体反应很差。在拟议的工作中，我们研究了鸭子细胞免疫反应的限制。无效的抗体反应和细胞免疫反应的局限性都是野鸭流感持续存在的原因。鸭子可以再次感染同一株流感病毒，而且与人类不同，它们不会产生二次免疫反应（强度更大、更有效）。这有助于病毒在自然界中永久化。细胞记忆反应不良的基础是我研究的重点。我们还在研究鸭子独特的先天免疫反应，使它们能够在高致病性禽流感中存活。这两个研究问题相互交叉，因为强大的先天免疫反应对病毒清除至关重要，并开启适当的细胞免疫反应。我们希望将这项研究转化为如何操纵免疫反应以使家禽疫苗更有效的知识。

My research program has focused on the immune response of ducks in an attempt to understand the host-pathogen relationship of ducks and influenza virus. Ducks are the primary host and reservoir of influenza virus in nature. While ducks are continually infected with influenza, most strains cause them little pathology. Three arms of the immune response are involved in influenza clearance; innate responses involving interferon, cellular immunity involving killer T cells, and antibodies. Previous work showed the antibody responses of ducks are poor. In the proposed work we investigate constraints on cellular immune responses in ducks. Both ineffectual antibody responses, and limitations of the cellular immune response contribute to the persistence of influenza in wild ducks. Ducks can be re-infected with the same strain of influenza, and unlike humans they do not mount a secondary immune response (larger in magnitude and more effective). This helps perpetuate the virus in nature. The basis of the poor cellular memory response is the focus of my research. We are also investigating the unique innate immune response of the duck that allows them to survive highly pathogenic avian influenza. These two research questions intersect, since a robust innate immune response is both critical for viral clearance, and turns on an appropriate cellular immune response. We would hope to translate this research into knowledge of how to manipulate the immune response to make poultry vaccines more effective.