Unravelling mechanisms determining the balance between tolerance and immunity in the liver

Summary

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Role of primary T cell activation in the liver in CD8 T cell tolerance

Supervisor

Dr Patrick Bertolino.

Research location

Camperdown - Centenary Institute

Program type

Masters/PHD

Synopsis

The research of our group is particularly focused on the liver, an organ with unique tolerogenic properties. In many species, liver transplants are spontaneously accepted across a complete MHC mismatch and some viral infections, such as the one by the Hepatitis C virus, become chronic suggesting that the virus exploit this liver property to persist in the host. The mechanisms involved in these processes remain unknown. The broad aims of our group are to understand the interactions between T lymphocytes and hepatic cells, the parameters that determine the balance between tolerance and immunity in the liver as well as those leading to chronic hepatitis.

Additional information

Cellular immunology techniques, flow cytometry, electron microscopy, confocal microscopy, PhD projects in the Liver Immunology group include:

• Using transgenic mouse models to study mechanisms of tolerance following an immune response in the liver
• Breaking tolerance to liver antigens and developing models of chronic liver disease
• Developing new models that mimic viral infections of the liver.
• Understanding mechanisms responsible for the spontaneous acceptance of liver transplants.

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Opportunity ID

The opportunity ID for this research opportunity is 80