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The Kirby Institute is pleased to present:
Dr Bonnie van Wilgenburg,University of Oxford, United Kingdom
"Human MAIT cell activation in response to virus infection."
Abstract:
Mucosal Associated Invariant T (MAIT) cells are an abundant population of tissue homing T-cells, possessing TCRs capable of recognising bacterially-derived riboflavin synthesis intermediates. However, their ability to respond to viral pathogens has not been defined. We addressed whether human MAIT cell populations responded to viral infections in vivo and the mechanism behind this. We find consistent evidence for MAIT cell activation during infection with Dengue virus, Hepatitis C virus (HCV), and Influenza Virus. This activation – driving cytokine release and upregulation of Granzyme B - was TCR-independent but dependent on specific cytokines, notably IL-18 in synergy with IL-12, IL-15 and/or type I interferons. IL-18 levels and activation of MAIT cells correlated with disease severity in acute Dengue infection. Furthermore, treatment of HCV with interferon-α led to specific activation of MAIT cells in vivo. Together these data demonstrate MAIT cells as virally-responsive and suggest a role in both host defence and immunopathology.
Bio:
Dr. van Wilgenburg is a Junior Research Fellow at Somerville College (University of Oxford) and works in the laboratory of Prof. Paul Klenerman at the Peter Medawar Building of Pathogen Research at the Nuffield Department of Medicine. She received a bachelor's degree in Biomedical Sciences at the University College Roosevelt (University of Utrecht, The Netherlands). During this degree she completed research projects in the lab of Prof. Wiertz (Leiden University Medical Centre) studying Epstein-Barr virus immune evasion and in the lab of Prof. Morris (Scripps Research Institute, U.S.A.) on transcriptional gene silencing. In 2012 she completed her PhD, using human stem cell-derived macrophages and genetic modification to study HIV-1 infection at the Sir William Dunn School of Pathology (University of Oxford).