How does ageing affect antibody responses?
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Project Leader
Dr Amy Chung+61 3 8344 1717
Project Details
Antibodies are a vital component of the immune response required for protection and control of infectious diseases. However, large changes can occur to the quality of an antibody response as a person grows older. One of the reasons for this change is glycosylation, where sugar structures are added to the antibody. Different glycan structures can determine how well the antibody activates surrounding innate immune cells to attack and eliminate invading pathogens. Intriguingly, within humans, large antibody glycan changes are observed within infants and elderly, which may contribute to why they are more susceptible to infection. This project aims to further understand the effect of aging upon antibody responses using non-human primate models.
Researchers
Kevin J Selva, Research Officer
Ester Lopez, Research Assistant
Collaborators
Dr Nicholas Scott, University of Melbourne
Professor Stephen Kent, University of Melbourne
Associate Professor Shelby O'Connor, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Research Opportunities
This research project is available to Honours students to join as part of their thesis.
Please contact the Research Group Leader to discuss your options.