Identifying the mechanisms of immune cell development in peripheral tissues
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Project Leader
Professor Laura Mackay+61 3 834 48016
Project Details
It is now clear that ‘tissue residency’ extends past the T cell lineage, and that various immune cell populations including innate lymphoid cells (ILC) and NKT cells, can persist long-term in peripheral tissues. Laura’s group is interested in the role of the tissue microenvironment in shaping these immune cell populations, and are studying the tissue-tropic factors and signals that govern the environmental adaptation of immune cells to different tissues. Their work also investigates common mechanisms that are required to establish tissue residency such as the shutdown of tissue egress, and they are deciphering novel factors required for these processes. Their goal is to provide a molecular framework for tissue-resident lymphocyte differentiation, which will provide a basis for targeting these cells in future immune cell-based therapies.