Project Details
Projekt
Interactions of HAdV with nasal and tonsil tissues: The role of ILCs and NK cells in virus-host immunity and implications for mucosal vaccine development
Subject Area
Virology
Term
since 2026
Project identifier
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 548065690
Human adenovirus (HAdV) infections of the upper respiratory tract represent a significant clinical challenge for immunocompromised and chronically ill patients. Despite increasing interest in mucosal immunology, the early innate immune responses to HAdV infection, especially the interactions between epithelial cells and innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) or natural killer (NK) cells, remain insufficiently understood. This project aims to study the epithelial-immune cell crosstalk between HAdV-infected nasal and tonsil tissues, with a special focus on their interactions with ILCs and NK cells. Using patient-derived nasal epithelial cells and tonsil organoids, we will investigate how different HAdV types stimulate epithelial-immune responses and influence ILCs and NK cell activation. A central hypothesis of this project is the use of disease-specific 2D and 3D mini-organoid models that closely reflect clinical condition, including asthma, COPD, chronic tonsillitis, chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyposis, and post-hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. These models will allow us to explore how different HAdV types shape epithelial-immune responses and modulate ILCs and NK cell function across age, sex, and disease background. We hypothesize that epithelial responses to HAdV are influenced by HAdV type and host factors (i.e., age, sex or disease status), and in turn influence mucosal immune regulation, tissue remodeling, and antivirus defense. The expected outcomes include mechanistic insights into mucosal immunology, virus-host interaction, and the potential design of adenovirus-based mucosal vaccine vectors with translational purposes targeting respiratory virus diseases.
DFG Programme
Research Units
