Harnessing the autophagy pathway to enhance the immune response to Epstein-Barr-Virus infection and associated tumors

• Antragstellerin: Dr. Sonja Meixlsperger
• Fachliche Zuordnung: Immunologie
• Förderung: Förderung von 2008 bis 2010
• Projektkennung: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Projektnummer 78476727

Epstein-Barr-virus (EBV) infects the majority of the human population and can cause B cell transformation and malignancy in immunocompromised and, less frequently, in immunocompetent individuals. To improve vaccination strategies, I want to test whether targeting EBV antigens into the autophagy pathway can enhance EBV antigen presentation on major histocompatibility complex class II (MHC II) molecules and consequently improve T helper cell-dependent immune responses. Therefore, I will express EBV antigens as fusion proteins with the autophagosome-associated molecule Atg8/LC3 in dendritic cells. Subsequently, I will analyze T cell priming in vitro. Furthermore, I want to analyze the immune response in EBV infected humanized mice after immunization with fusion antigen-expressing dendritic cells or fusion antigen-encoding recombinant lentiviruses. Enhanced presentation should improve the response to primary EBV infection and EBV associated malignancies.

• DFG-Verfahren: Forschungsstipendien
• Internationaler Bezug: USA
• Gastgeber: Professor Dr. Christian Münz