Granulomas are localized inflammatory lesions critical to the pathology of some autoimmune diseases and to the containment of a variety of infectious agents. Granulomatous immune responses are a form of delayed-type hypersensitivity, and CD4 T cells are crucial in the initiation, regulation and resolution of these lesions. Granulomas control and prevent dissemination of mycobacteria, but they also provide a long-term host reservoir for the bacteria. The interaction between the immune system and mycobacteria within these lesions is an important aspect of mycobacterial diseases. Gaining a better understanding of how T cells regulate granulomas could potentially provide critical information for the cure of granulomatous diseases and for the development of improved vaccines. Under the aegis of our previous funding period, we have developed new granuloma models and technologies to study them. We described different roles of pathogen-specific and non-specific T cells in granuloma f ormation and maintenance. This continuation proposal builds on this strong foundation of basic information to address the complex questions of how T cells with different specificities and functionalities interact within granulomas. ? In the first specific aim we propose to study how CD4 T cells interact in granulomas to influence and provide a protective function. We will infect TCR transgenic RAG-/- mice that have been adoptively transferred with other TCR transgenic T cells with recombinant BCG that express fusion proteins expressing one, two, or three of the corresponding T cell epitopes. We will examine T cell function, granuloma formation, and protection against mycobacterial growth to determine how T cells specific for the pathogen interact and how that interaction may influence the granuloma phenotype and anti-mycobacterial function. These studies will allow us to compare systemic and local immunodominance and the mechanism(s) by which multi-epitope vaccines may work. I n the second and third specific aims we will investigate whether anergic and/or regulatory T cells home to granulomas and how these cells regulate the granulomatous reaction during both acute and chronic stages of infection. This new knowledge may lead to therapies by which granulomatous diseases can be treated by modifying T cell responses.These studies address immunoregulatory mechanisms by T cells to control acute and chronic granulomas in a model of BCG infection. Granuloma is the hallmark of many infectious and autoimmune diseases. They contribute to protection against infectious pathogens and to infection- or autoimmunity-induced pathology. New knowledge of how T cells regulate granulomas will lead to more efficient therapeutic manipulations of granulomatous diseases.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01AI048087-09
Application #
8132464
Study Section
Immunity and Host Defense Study Section (IHD)
Program Officer
Johnson, David R
Project Start
2000-07-01
Project End
2012-08-31
Budget Start
2011-09-01
Budget End
2012-08-31
Support Year
9
Fiscal Year
2011
Total Cost
$380,259
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Wisconsin Madison
Department
Pathology
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
161202122
City
Madison
State
WI
Country
United States
Zip Code
53715
Rayasam, Aditya; Kijak, Julie A; Dallmann, McKenna et al. (2018) Regional Distribution of CNS Antigens Differentially Determines T-Cell Mediated Neuroinflammation in a CX3CR1-Dependent Manner. J Neurosci 38:7058-7071
Harris, Melissa G; Hulseberg, Paul; Ling, Changying et al. (2014) Immune privilege of the CNS is not the consequence of limited antigen sampling. Sci Rep 4:4422
Clarkson, Benjamin D S; Ling, Changying; Shi, Yejie et al. (2014) T cell-derived interleukin (IL)-21 promotes brain injury following stroke in mice. J Exp Med 211:595-604
Schreiber, H A; Harding, J S; Altamirano, C J et al. (2011) CONTINUOUS REPOPULATION OF LYMPHOCYTE SUBSETS IN TRANSPLANTED MYCOBACTERIAL GRANULOMAS. Eur J Microbiol Immunol (Bp) 1:59-69
Schreiber, Heidi A; Sandor, Matyas (2010) The role of dendritic cells in mycobacterium-induced granulomas. Immunol Lett 130:26-31
Hogan, Laura H; Co, Dominic O; Karman, Jozsef et al. (2007) Virally activated CD8 T cells home to Mycobacterium bovis BCG-induced granulomas but enhance antimycobacterial protection only in immunodeficient mice. Infect Immun 75:1154-66
Hogan, Laura H; Heninger, Erika; Elsner, Rebecca A et al. (2007) Requirements for CD4(+) T cell levels in acute Mycobacterium bovis strain bacille Calmette Guerin (BCG)-induced granulomas differ for optimal mycobacterial control versus granuloma formation. Int Immunol 19:627-33
Heninger, Erika; Hogan, Laura H; Karman, Jozsef et al. (2006) Characterization of the Histoplasma capsulatum-induced granuloma. J Immunol 177:3303-13
Co, Dominic O; Hogan, Laura H; Karman, Jozsef et al. (2006) Interactions between T cells responding to concurrent mycobacterial and influenza infections. J Immunol 177:8456-65
Co, Dominic O; Hogan, Laura H; Il-Kim, Shin et al. (2004) T cell contributions to the different phases of granuloma formation. Immunol Lett 92:135-42

Showing the most recent 10 out of 15 publications