Impact of regulatory T cells on human infections caused by Aspergillus fumigatus (A04)

• Subject Area: Immunology
• Term: from 2013 to 2021
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 210879364

Aspergillus fumigatus can cause invasive Aspergillosis (IA) with insufficient Th1 and allergic bronchopulmonary Aspergillosis (ABPA) with overwhelming Th2 response. The impact and beneficial modulation of regulatory T cells (Tregs) on these diseases are not well understood. A4 identified single nucleotide variants in Treg genes in patients, whose knowledge will be translated into a diagnostic approach. A. fumigatus-specific iTreg and Tr1 cells will be characterised and genetically engineered to become functional, A. fumigatus-specific T cell receptor-expressing CD4 T cells and Tregs. These p41-TCR cells will be tested in models of adoptive immunotherapy.

• DFG Programme: CRC/Transregios
• Subproject of: TRR 124: Pathogenic Fungi and their Human Host: Networks of Interaction - FungiNet
• Applicant Institution: Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena
• Project Head: Professor Dr. Max-Stanley Topp