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Investigate the expression and function of the Tumour Necrosis Factor-related Apoptosis- inducing Ligand (TRAIL) on NK cells.

Nadia Guerra

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Funding source

Wellcome Trust (WT)
The immune system defends our organism from dangers such as infections and genomic mutations that can lead to cancer. In response to an injury, the immune system will initiate an inflammatory response that will resolve after repair hence preserving the integrity of our organism. In some circumstances, deregulation of the inflammatory responses lead to a persistent inflammation that causes pathologies such as autoimmune diseases. Over the past few years, researchers have found that instead of pro tecting the organism from the development of tumors, a chronic inflammation in a tissue can initiate and/or promote cancer development. This is why it is important to define the contexts influencing the immune system to participate in cancer progression as opposed to fighting it. The NK-receptors are molecules expressed by many immune cells contributing to the recognition and elimination of dangerous cells, such as cancer cells but not normal healthy cells. Our research studies will test the hyp othesis that in some circumstances, NK-receptors participate in the immune attack against normal cells in inflamed tissues, causing more damage consequently promoting the development of genomic mutations. Our goal is to understand the mechanisms that causes immunopathologies associated to chronic injuries such as autoimmune disorders and inflammation-related cancer.

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